Hey everyone! I've been hearing these odd, surging sounds in my house lately when I flush the toilet or turn on a faucet. It's not super loud, but it kind of mimics the 'chugga, chugga' sound you'd make for a train, you know? This seems to happen any time of day or night; it even occurred after I flushed the toilet earlier. I checked the pressure and it was at 65 psi, so it doesn't look like the pump kicking on to refill is the issue.
Just to give you some background, I live in a manufactured home that gets water from a well in my backyard here in Florida. The well pump cycles on and off at about 58 and 83 psi. The line from the pressure tank goes to my water softener and then splits off to various spigots around my property. Yesterday, I tested the pressure in the different lines by shutting them off and turning them on one by one. They all held pressure, so I'm not sure what's happening. I've noticed a bit of sputtering or air in the line when I water my garden, but I thought I had flushed it out well after dealing with the winter freezes and some spigot replacements. Any thoughts on what might be causing these sounds? Is there a risk to my plumbing system? Thanks a lot!
2 Answers
Hey there! First off, have you checked whether the sound is coming from your water supply plumbing or possibly your drain plumbing? Sometimes sounds can be tricky like that.
I used to have a similar issue where I could hear vibrations from my well pump through the underground pipes. After replacing the pump a few years ago, the noise disappeared! It might be that your current pump transmits sound more easily, especially if the water pipe runs inside a larger conduit pipe.
By the way, 58-83 psi is pretty high for your system and can wear out the pump faster. Try flushing your toilet with the supply valve closed and see if that changes anything—you might be hearing something in your drain lines instead.
When I flush the toilet, the sound definitely comes from the water refilling the tank.
I’m pretty sure it’s coming from the plumbing for the water supply, not the drains.