# Water rushing through pipes but not...



## merc123 (Oct 19, 2011)

I noticed this morning that it sounds like water rushing to the upstairs, through the walls in one particular spot.  The problem is no one is upstairs and when I look in the sinks and showers there's no water.  What's causing the noise?


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## rjcruiser (Oct 19, 2011)

No toilet running?

Is there any running water going in the house?  I know pipes sometimes go through walls before coming back down to other fixtures in the house.


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Oct 19, 2011)

toilet or outside spigot.
Are you on a slab? Could be a broken pipe under your slab


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## dawg2 (Oct 19, 2011)

Turn everything off.  Then look at your water meter.  If it's moving you have a leak.


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## fulldraw74 (Oct 19, 2011)

Could it be water going to your water heater?


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## Wycliff (Oct 19, 2011)

Could it be from your HVAC condensate pan.


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## K80 (Oct 19, 2011)

dawg2 said:


> Turn everything off.  Then look at your water meter.  If it's moving you have a leak.





fulldraw74 said:


> Could it be water going to your water heater?



I'd think one of these two are your likely culprit.


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## jimbo4116 (Oct 19, 2011)

K80 said:


> I'd think one of these two are your likely culprit.



Water only goes into the HWH when a hot water tap is open.

The meter will let you know if you have a leak, but if you are hearing a rush of water it would be a leak you would have already noticed.

If you are on a slab you may have water pipes running throught the upstairs floor joists feeding down stairs  fixtures.  One might be your refrigerators ice maker creating an intermittent rush of water as it refills.  Or a leaking flapper in a downstairs toliet causing the toliet water valve to open.

Pinpoint where you hear the rush and then have some turn on a downstairs tap and see if you hear the water rush.


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## shakey gizzard (Oct 19, 2011)

jimbo4116 said:


> Water only goes into the HWH when a hot water tap is open.
> 
> The meter will let you know if you have a leak, but if you are hearing a rush of water it would be a leak you would have already noticed.
> 
> ...



I'm going with the leaky flapper!


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## K80 (Oct 19, 2011)

jimbo4116 said:


> Water only goes into the HWH when a hot water tap is open.
> 
> The meter will let you know if you have a leak, but if you are hearing a rush of water it would be a leak you would have already noticed.
> 
> ...



My WH makes a noise that sounds like water filling the tank after the HW is turned off.  I've never heard one do that before moving into my current house.


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## quinn (Oct 19, 2011)

Is it a fulltime noise on just sometimes?


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## CAL (Oct 19, 2011)

You have a leak or water running outside somewhere.If the water is running outside,I can hear it in the pipes inside.


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## jimbo4116 (Oct 19, 2011)

K80 said:


> My WH makes a noise that sounds like water filling the tank after the HW is turned off.  I've never heard one do that before moving into my current house.



That is probably the elements heating up especially if there if sediment build up.  When the HW Tap is turned off the water quits running into the tank until it is a HW tap is turned on again.


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## jigman29 (Oct 19, 2011)

If someone is flushing a toilet then the water is running through the drain lines and will sound just like you described also it will do it when you drain the tub or a sink.


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## MoonPie (Oct 19, 2011)

I hate that sound! Been there. Like others said. Check all taps (inside and out). If you find nothin. Shut the water off at meter. If the sound stops, call a plumber.


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## Living Proof (Oct 20, 2011)

with the colder weather, if you have a heat pump you could hear the freon in the rerigerant lines going to the upstairs unit. just a thought and if that is what it is you may be low on freon.


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## bfriendly (Oct 22, 2011)

*Toilet drain plug?*

If it is sporatic, it is probably the drain plug in your upstairs toilet.

Mine was trickling/leaking, but you could NOT hear it. Then, when the float went down far enough, the valve would open, "Rushing H2O" to the tank, which was Clearly heard.

Pull the drain stopper  from the tank and check for any build-up on the seating ring; cheap fix and I  you do NOT have a leak.


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## merc123 (Oct 26, 2011)

The sound is near the ceiling where I know the drain pipes for the shower run (because they creak and pop).  It is a rushing sound as if you turned on the faucet upstairs but there isn't anything upstairs that sounds like water.  It's not just a water trickle.  This sound has pressure behind it.  

It is sporadic and random so I only hear it on occasion and only twice this far.


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