Whistling Behind the Wall

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Joe Delach

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I have a whistling problem in a bathroom. The sound is coming from behind the shower wall. It doesn't matter if the water is running or not. The sound comes and goes, often in the middle of the night while no water is being used in the house at all. Yesterday, I turned the bathroom sink faucet on and the sound came and then subsided when I turned the faucet off. It occurred with both the hot or the cold faucet on. One day I heard it so I started the dishwasher. The whistling stopped. As you see, there doesn't appear to be any constant variable at play here.
The shower hardware is a Delta two handle system. One handle controls temp, and the other controls flow. It is 14 years old. We are on well water, with a water softener system. The whole house pressure is already kind of low, so lowering the overall pressure is not an option.
I did remove the entire shower head and rod and it had no affect.
What do you think? Thanks in advance.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Wow. That's spooky.

My tub filler was causing a whistling sound so I changed it.

Pipes can squeak as they warm and then cool. But that's not it.

I have heard weird random noises on jobs before and we have learned that sometimes it can be just as simple as the wind coming from a different direction. It might be some bird has dropped something into your vent stack and made a flute or a recorder out of your vent line and plumbing waste system... Have you checked this?
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Cross section of a recorder

dessin-coupe-embouchure.jpg


Basic circle tube shape with a restriction. Now look at your home? Where is the sound coming from?

chimmneys-0952s.jpg


Maybe a little bird is making a home?

PlumbingVentFrog001DF.jpg


Get the wind coming from the right angle and now your vent stack is one giant recorder!

Good Luck.

If that is not it maybe call Ghost Busters.... :)
 
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Terry

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Sometimes a plumbing noise can be from a leaking toilet in combination with a loud fill valve.
Turn water off to the toilet, and then check back later to see if the water level in the tank has dropped.
If so, you many need a new flapper.
A fill valve near the end of it's fill cycle and also create noise. You may want to listen there.

I have also had PRV's, (pressure reducing valve) create noises.
 

Joe Delach

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Sometimes a plumbing noise can be from a leaking toilet in combination with a loud fill valve.
Turn water off to the toilet, and then check back later to see if the water level in the tank has dropped.
If so, you many need a new flapper.
A fill valve near the end of it's fill cycle and also create noise. You may want to listen there.

I have also had PRV's, (pressure reducing valve) create noises.


Terry,
You were spot on my friend. I swear, it sounded like that noise was coming from behind the wall, but I guess when you are in a confined space, that noise just fills the room and it fooled me. I turned the water supply off to the toilet and ....bam, whistling went away. Turned out to be a defective fluidmaster float that I installed about 5 years ago. To think I was ready to start tearing into the wall. I owe you pal.
 
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