Plumbers?

[mmburtch]

I recently had some work done to fix a leak in my meter box. Since then, I have a helecopter residing in my hot water lines. Specifically, if my recirculation pump is running and I turn on the hot water the whole house shakes.

Can anyone tell me how to get the friggen helecopter out of my pipes?

 

[TBaGZ]

Go to the water outlet farthest from the meter and let it run till the air stops coming out.

 

[Seanholio]

Or if you have multiple floors, go to the highest one.

 

[mmburtch]

Been there done that. Even drained the house and refilled it with every tap open. I'm pretty sure the bubble is trapped in the recirc lines, which are of course protected with backflow preventers on both sides. I'll have to look at the valves and see if there is a way to send all of the flow through the recirc lines, although, I'm pretty sure there isn't.

 

[TBaGZ]

did a plumber do the work did the utility company? If it was a plumber have them come back and take care of the problem because thats crap. they should have turned off the house valve and flushed the lines when done. If it was the utility tell them they should send a plumber out to take care of it free of charge to you.

I work for the water utility here in Bonita.

 

[MiamiCubano]

The noise or rattle of the pipes is caused by the “lack of air in the pipes air chambers” that provide shock absorbing to the water system while in use, and it is in all the water systems because the water can not be compressed. Sometimes it sounds as the house is shaking.

A problem usually occurs when turning the water off at a faucet, or in the toilet, as it shuts off while at times occurs while the water is running.

To remedy this situation:

1) Turn the water off at the house main shut off or at the meter by turning the slot 90 degrees.

2) Walk to each plumbing fixture and turn the water on for both hot and cold, leave it on.

3) Flush each toilet

4) Turn outside garden faucets on.

5) Wait one minute.

6) Turn the water back on at the main shut off

7) Turn each fixture and faucet off.

8) Test it.

If this fails, check each toilet for proper functioning or call a plumber.

The above is a simple solution that should not occur if they fixed the meter as it turned the water off, and it probably injected air in the system. But you mentioned a circulating pump, which is not all that common in houses, and the only way to have it is at a large house with a hot water circulating pump to maintain hot water nearby at each bathroom.

If this the case here, then it is possible that the reverse occurs because hot water circulating pumps run in a closed circle and these pumps pick up the water of inside the pipe at 50 psi, or whatever pressure is at that time, and increases it 3 psi, thus moving the water forward until it eventually returns back to the inlet of the pump. If the water was turned off to fix the meter problem, and the water drained from pipes and the circulating pump was working as it should - by sensors of the change of temperature and not by the loss of pressure - then it probably introduced air into the close circuit pipes thus creating the same shock or rattle noise in the pipes system.

To remedy this situation:

1) Call the plumber as the close circuit piping do not require a relief valve and this seldom occurs.

2) If there is a relief valve in the pipes, open it until air is removed.

There is a possibility that dirt, a small pebble got inside the pipe if the main pipe was cut to fix the leak and that foreign object is stock somewhere causing the rattle and for this, a plumber will have to find it…

 

[Devil Doc]

Take it from a 3rd generation landlord, call the fuggin' plumber. Save yourself aggravation, embarrassment and the extra charges plumbers like to add on to folks who think any one can be a plumber.

Doc.

 

[MiamiCubano]

With master plumbers in my family, I definitely agree with Doc - there are just some things that are better left to those in the know. But, try the steps I listed above and see if that helps you. If not, pick up the phone.

 

[Devil Doc]

With master plumbers in my family, I definitely agree with Doc - there are just some things that are better left to those in the know. But, try the steps I listed above and see if that helps you. If not, pick up the phone.

So, you got plumbers blood coursing through your veins or should I say, gray water. :laugh:

Doc

 

[Macion Grey]

You must have exceptionally large pipes to be able to fit a helicopter in there. If the plumber put it there, two questions arise:

1) Why is he still a plumber if he is rich enough to afford a helicopter?

2)How did he get home after leaving his helicopter in the pipes?