The walls are alive with the sound of...
 

...groaning. Sometimes I feel like I'm living next to the warp drive on the Starship Enterprise, other times, it's like the cacophony of a pipe organ.. The repiping that caused this thread to be started:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/368127-townhome-any-rentals-can-suck-long.html?highlight=repipe
was finally finished in March. What a nightmare.

Now, about a month ago, somewhere in the walls around me, pipes are vibrating. Sometimes only for a brief moment, sometimes for as long as 12 hours. It's maddening I tell you! Almost no one else hears it. I can hear it underneath where we park. I told the manager about it, she sent someone over unannounced, but of course, all was quiet. I have since talked to the manager again and she says she is aware of what the problem is. Well, the plumbing company that originally started the project, payed off the city inspector and never secured the pipes to the walls. now they are starting to vibrate. She says that each unit will be taken care of, one at a time. This means the walls have to opened again!!! :mad:

I'm giving her all she's got Captain, but I don't think I can hold her together for much longer.

Wait...was the plumbing contractor "lowest bidder"? $20 says so...

No need to even put any money on the table. I thought this was the companies first job. Certain simple things were not handled right.

So this is why we still find you on OT way after your bedtime, Dave! :D

It's one of the reasons. It's quite at the moment, but this may change at any moment.

So now can not sleep because of anticipation anxiety. It will start any minute now....I am sure of it.... How about ear plugs? Or is it the vibration?

I've always had a hard time falling asleep. It's just becoming really difficult these days. The pipes don't really have anything to do with it.

Worse... they were "highly trained union professionals."

Phew. For a bit, I thought you were having problems with repeatedly amorous neighbors. Don't know which would be worse: groaning neighbors or groaning pipes. Sorry I'm not much help.

That's what other neighbors told me and thanks for bringing up all the wonderful images once again!

Go to bed, Dave.

You sure its not the local industrious porn label making gang bang movies..?

You know where the pipes are, you could try drilling a small hole and filling around the pipes with expanding spray foam.

You might ask the landlady to install hammer arrester valves. They may attenuate the groaning without having to open the walls. Then again, they might not.

It's called 'water hammer" Look it up.

Thanks for the last two ideas.

No way I would try and fill the walls with expanding foam. The owner would take me to court in the bat of an eyelash if found out. Not worth the trouble. The manager is aware and things will be done, but it won't be fast.

The owner (like a lot) is very cheap. The manager really can't manage as it is. She's on site, but no posted hours and when she should be available, she's usually not.

Easiest answer, is to move, but not in the cards at the moment.

It's been a quiet couple of days, but I just walked in and a neighbor that I share walls with (and I think has the bad pipes) was just in the shower and yet the pipes were groaning.

"Banging" pipes would indicate a water-hammer situation. "Groaning" pipes could mean a few things...air leaks in the system, water pressure issues or temp issues (do you have a common boiler or does each unit have its own HWH?).

There are two shared water heaters in the common laundry room. The pipes do not "bang", at the moment, it sounds like I am next to the warp drive on Enterprise.

It seems pretty clear that the original plumbers (even though it appears they had a license), took a lot of shortcuts and knowingly fuched things up. I can spend my days calling L.A. housing, but it really isn't going to do much.

My biggest problem, is when it starts up a 2 in the A.M. and goes on and on. I can't figure out why it picks up at 2 though.

2am, most people are in bed. No more showering, washing dishes, laundry. Hot water heater kicks on and heated water has no where to go. Are there expansion tanks installed?

Next time it starts, go to the room containing the water heaters and see if the noise is originating there. Not much you could do but shut of the HWH's...are they elec. or gas?

I will go down, but the water heaters (gas) are 7 units away from me and it really loudest under the my neighbors unit and mine. I really think it is the neighbors pipes that are having the problem, but I'm sure it will eventually (if not fixed) migrate to other pipes. The hot water cycles through the building via one of those little circulators.

I live in an area with a lot of Russians and Iranians. It is not unusual to find people up and cooking at all hours of the day.

The current manager is fairly honost with me and this isn't the first time that she has told me stories about the plumbing company. I put two and two together as well anyway. The owner does not live here and only cares about depositing the rent and buying new top of the line Mercedes. There are stories about people getting evicted for no legal reason. Most won't fight and move.

Something breaks that he is responsible for and his response is "You don't like it, you can move."

Agreed+

Sounds like you are in an apartment. However, if it's a condo or single structure, you might try opening all faucets at the same time and running the water for a while. This problem can be caused by air trapped in the pipes. Each time someone uses water, and then shuts off....the air is compressed and causes the pipes to shake.

Just a thought...