Why can I always hear water flowing through the plumbing?
Discussion
Apologies for the slightly cryptic title due to character limit.
It sounds like there is a constant flow of water through the main water supply to our house; the pipe comes up from the floor in our kitchen, goes through the stopcock and continues upwards along the wall where it then disappears in the ceiling. The noise is constant day and night, whether taps are open or closed, shower running or stopped and there are no signs of leaks either in the house or garden, and no constant outflow from the only waste water pipe that is visible above ground (which is the outflow from the sink drain)
We have only been here since march and for a while I didn't think much of it for a long time because it's not loud or alarming in any way, and every time I have heard it before I just assumed a tap was running, the washing machine or dishwasher were filling etc. so it has only been in the last couple of weeks that I noticed the noise is always there. The noise stops when I close the stopcock, so I am certain that it is indeed water flowing through the pipe and not some other similar noise emanating from another source.
We rent, so we have no access to the attic so I can't go up there to see if there is a constantly overflowing water tank.
the boiler itself is an oil fired unit outside the house. I have taken the cover off but can't hear any obvious sounds of moving water, but it's hard to tell as it's a fairly big unit and full of insulation and whatnot
the hot water tank and control panel are upstairs in the airing cupboard, but given that heating is off and hot water is only on for 2 hours per day in the morning, it is, unsurprisingly, all quiet on that front.
Given that the supply is not metered and we rent I am not too panicked as it would be someone else's problem to deal with even if there is a leak, but should I be contacting the landlord about it, or am I missing something obvious and it's normal and correct for there to be a constant flow of water into the house, but seemingly nothing flowing out again?
It sounds like there is a constant flow of water through the main water supply to our house; the pipe comes up from the floor in our kitchen, goes through the stopcock and continues upwards along the wall where it then disappears in the ceiling. The noise is constant day and night, whether taps are open or closed, shower running or stopped and there are no signs of leaks either in the house or garden, and no constant outflow from the only waste water pipe that is visible above ground (which is the outflow from the sink drain)
We have only been here since march and for a while I didn't think much of it for a long time because it's not loud or alarming in any way, and every time I have heard it before I just assumed a tap was running, the washing machine or dishwasher were filling etc. so it has only been in the last couple of weeks that I noticed the noise is always there. The noise stops when I close the stopcock, so I am certain that it is indeed water flowing through the pipe and not some other similar noise emanating from another source.
We rent, so we have no access to the attic so I can't go up there to see if there is a constantly overflowing water tank.
the boiler itself is an oil fired unit outside the house. I have taken the cover off but can't hear any obvious sounds of moving water, but it's hard to tell as it's a fairly big unit and full of insulation and whatnot
the hot water tank and control panel are upstairs in the airing cupboard, but given that heating is off and hot water is only on for 2 hours per day in the morning, it is, unsurprisingly, all quiet on that front.
Given that the supply is not metered and we rent I am not too panicked as it would be someone else's problem to deal with even if there is a leak, but should I be contacting the landlord about it, or am I missing something obvious and it's normal and correct for there to be a constant flow of water into the house, but seemingly nothing flowing out again?
deadtom said:
Given that the supply is not metered and we rent I am not too panicked as it would be someone else's problem to deal with even if there is a leak
Good bit of responsible citizen there. Maybe you'll care if the ceiling falls on top of you.deadtom said:
but should I be contacting the landlord
Yes obviously!Simpo Two said:
deadtom said:
Given that the supply is not metered and we rent I am not too panicked as it would be someone else's problem to deal with even if there is a leak
Good bit of responsible citizen there. Maybe you'll care if the ceiling falls on top of you.deadtom said:
but should I be contacting the landlord
Yes obviously!If it is a leak then i has to be underground or it would have come to light by now , even in a toilet.
Could it be a shared pipe ?
In our first house we shared a supply with next door, it came to our house first then went across to the neighbours. If they used water and it was very quiet in our house you could hear the noise through the pipe. Still not sure why it would be running all the time though ?
sooty61 said:
Do you have access to the water meter (if there is one)? Does the little wheel spin when everything is off?
This will be the biggest tell. If this is spinning and you hear water.. but you don't know where that water is going... you (Your landlord) has a major problem.
I've had this a couple of times in my house, and every time it's a leak causing damage somewhere.
InformationSuperHighway said:
This will be the biggest tell.
If this is spinning and you hear water.. but you don't know where that water is going... you (Your landlord) has a major problem.
I've had this a couple of times in my house, and every time it's a leak causing damage somewhere.
Don't worry the bill is landlords problem...lolIf this is spinning and you hear water.. but you don't know where that water is going... you (Your landlord) has a major problem.
I've had this a couple of times in my house, and every time it's a leak causing damage somewhere.
fourstardan said:
InformationSuperHighway said:
This will be the biggest tell.
If this is spinning and you hear water.. but you don't know where that water is going... you (Your landlord) has a major problem.
I've had this a couple of times in my house, and every time it's a leak causing damage somewhere.
Don't worry the bill is landlords problem...lolIf this is spinning and you hear water.. but you don't know where that water is going... you (Your landlord) has a major problem.
I've had this a couple of times in my house, and every time it's a leak causing damage somewhere.
Either way, as a tenant they shouldn't sit on this and ignore it.
Simpo Two said:
deadtom said:
Given that the supply is not metered and we rent I am not too panicked as it would be someone else's problem to deal with even if there is a leak
Good bit of responsible citizen there. Maybe you'll care if the ceiling falls on top of you.I had another good listen around the house and in fact the noise is also audible in the upstairs bathroom, but is not the toilet cistern or the shower (and the shower is electric so I can't blame a damaged mixer unit)
.It may be a shared supply with next door as it is a semi detached property, but that still wouldn't explain why it is constant at all hours of the day.
If it is a leak, it must just be draining out again as there are not signs of damp anywhere.
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