Loud vibrating noise (water hammering?) at the corner of the house where water enters.

[RobinFL]

I live in Florida in a single-story home with a residential well for water. Water pipes are run through the concrete slab. We have a water softener outside the house against an exterior wall closest to the well. I was told by Culligan that's where the water runs into the house. Moving forward several years, we had a company install a PVC fence in the backyard. The fence installers broke an underground pipe on the opposite corner of the house, which cut off water to the house. That totally confused me because that must be where the water enters the home, and how does the water softener tie into the system where it is located? I would greatly appreciate anyone who could clear that up for me.

Now fast-forward a couple more years and onto the real problem. Lately, we have had loud vibrating sounds that happen sporadically and for no apparent reason at the corner of the house where the broken pipe was. I'm assuming that's what water hammering is. However, that noise has occurred while no water or any household appliance using water is running or being shut off. And there's nothing we can do to predict when the noise will happen.

Could this be a well issue? I am baffled and don't know what to think of it and if it can be a hazard. For what it's worth, we turned the water supply into the house off and drained the pipes by opening up the highest valve (bathroom shower) and then the lowest valve (outside spigot that's part of the system). Then turned on the water supply and closed the valves in reverse order as said on an Internet site. This did not help. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Valveman]

Find the well pump and pressure tank. Look at the pressure gage on the tank while using water and after all taps are off. Pictures help too.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WorthFlorida]

Do you have an irrigation system? The pipe that was damaged from the fence installation may have been an irrigation pipe before the zone valve. Therefore, it is always under pressure. It is possible the repair is leaking some. The glued pvc joints can deteriorate. I've seen it a few times and usually it is roots pushing up on the pipe causing the joint to fail or a hairline crack. The occasional part is the well pump turning on to keep the tank pressurize. Once up to pressure the pump turns off, pressure drops after a certain time and the pump turns on. However, a small leak in itself would not vibrate.

Is there a bathroom near that corner of the home? The toilet flapper maybe leaking slightly. As the water level drops in the tank the fill valve will open and some will flow with very little water and they can vibrate. Sometimes it is the washer in the shut off valve that will vibrate.