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Plastic and cast iron drain piping (C) Daniel Friedman

Guide to Sound Control in Building Supply & Drain Piping
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How to control plumbing noises in buildings

Drain & toilet flush sound noise control design details

Principles of sound transmission in buildings

How to make a building quiet: sound isolation strategies

Tables of sound control data for buildings

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Here we discuss methods and materials used to control plumbing piping & plumbing fixture sound transmission in buildings: how to assure quiet plumbing fixtures, plumbing drains, supply piping, heating piping in buildings. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. The page top photo shows our client commenting on a mix of plastic (more noisy) and cast iron (more quiet) drain piping in a building basement where renovations and conversion to occupied space were planned.

© Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

How to Control Plumbing Noise in Buildings

One of the most common noise complaints in single-family construction is the sound of water gushing through PVC waste pipes.

The best solution, short of using cast iron, is to box in the pipes and fill the cavity with fiberglass insulation. Then enclose the cavity with one or two layers of drywall.

Our photo (left) shows plastic drain waste piping routed through a basement that was being finished and to be used as offices.

The leak stains at the ceiling needed to be investigated and the source corrected before this piping run was enclosed in a heavily insulated drywall pipe chase to minimize sound transmission from the upstairs plumbing fixtures into the lower level offices.

Continuing from from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:

Water supply and heating pipes can also radiate noise through the framing if there is rigid contact between pipes and framing or finish materials. This can be a particular problem when heating pipes expand and contract. To avoid these problems, make sure pipe runs are not tight against framing.

While special non hardening acoustical sealants are often specified in commercial work, any high-quality sealant that remains flexible can be effective in blocking sound transmission. Butyl, silicone, and urethane caulk can all be used.

To prevent sound leaks, use sealant around electrical boxes, plumbing penetrations, and any other penetrations in the wall or ceiling surface.

See Acoustical Sealant for Sound Control for additional details.

Other sources of noises associated with water or heating piping in buildings include:

Hot water supply and heating baseboard piping noises where pipes creak, click, and clank at floor or wall penetrations, especially during temperature changes such as heating system on-off cycling or hot water usage.
Hot or cold water supply piping running water noises may be amplified and transmitted through some building areas when water is running through pipes that are mounted in contact with framing or in contact with floor or wall partition materials.

If you are debugging piping noises in a building and have been unable to locate the source of a running water sound, turn off water at the building water main and listen again.

This step eliminates running toilets and open faucets in the building. Try using a mechanic's stethoscope on water supply piping where the water piping enters the building. On occasion we have found that a running water sound was due to a leak in buried water supply piping outside of the building itself. Sound was transmitted through the pipe itself into the building interior.

Leaving a clearance opening to accommodate pipe movement during temperature changes, and sealing all pipe penetrations (discussed above) can substantially reduce indoor supply or heating piping noise.

Also see NOISES COMING FROM WATER HEATER for the diagnosis and cure of clanking or thumping noises that may be coming from your water heater or heating boiler.

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

Continue reading about methods for sound control in buildings by using the links provided just below.

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Technical Reviewers & References

InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Marpac, produces white sound generators, a product that they identify as the Marpac sound conditioner. Marpac can be contacted at http://www.marpac.com/ or contact the Marpac Corporation, P.O. Box 560 Rocky Point, NC 28457 Phone: 800-999-6962 (USA and Canada) Fax: 910-602-1435 1-910-602-1421 (worldwide), 800-999- or email: info@marpac.com
Sound Oasis sound conditioners are produced by Sound Oasis: http://www.sound-oasis.com/ email: info@sound-oasis.com or 1-866-625-3218

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Wiley.com and also at Amazon.com. See our book review of this publication.

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