When the noise occurs when there is no hot water being used, it's likely there is a vacuum that's siphoning water away from the unit and causing loud noise and vibration. A noisy water heater can be annoying, but it can also be a signal that something is wrong. Water Heaters - Water Heater making "jackhammer" noise - Hi All, We've moved into a new house and we noticed that, in the morning hours, our water heater makes a loud noise that sounds like I have a loud noise that sounds like a machine gun or a woodpecker tapping on metal or a vibration noise on metal. The vent pipe on the top is hot … From your kitchen to the bathroom, your home has many types of piping. Whether it's the refrigerator, the air conditioning or the hot water heater, there are sounds around the house that we choose to ignore on a daily basis. WATER pipes that bang, hammer or squeal are not only a nuisance, they may also be an indication of plumbing problems. This water heater is vapor proof. How to clean your Gas Water Heater Filter. can be minor or serious, depending on which noise it is. Read our FAQs to learn about different kinds of pipes and how to care for them. The sound sounds like its coming moreso from in the wall versus out of the drain. Looked inside the fireplace and found nothing. To me it sounds like a usual toilet slowly leaking and refilling sporatically. The tapping sounds from hot-water pipes can be annoying, but they don't signify a problem. You’re right to be concerned about this unusual noise. It signals that something is wrong with your water heater. If you’re planning to change to a different style water heater, like going from a … What would cause a slight thumping noise in water pipes on toilet and washer? Did you turn off the main water valve to the house and wait for hammering? With its persistent pecking, it has managed to do some significant damage to my […] From what I have read, that is harmless and has to do with the hot water heater and I can deal with that. Does it make a difference if you run the cold water or the hot water? Various different noises come from plumbing systems as the water flows through the pipes. Loud Humming/Vibrating pipes. Tap-tap-tap. (Douglas*****) Strange. It will rumble for a few seconds then stop for about 15-30 seconds. Scott, what happened to my water heater a week ago happened again this morning: the loss of hot water and the sound of high-pressure steam coming from a valve. We just recently noticed our water heater rumbling intermittently. We had a loss of hot water for probably a good 30+ minutes… when I looked at the hot water heater in the basement, the output pipe was luke warm and instead of seeing a light blue pilot light, I saw a bright flickering orange/yellow light and heard the sound of something like water dripping onto a very hot pan. That is a noise heard in our bedroom wall, where the water pipes are located, and it sounds like a woodpecker…