noises in basement pipes when flushing

Kristin
by Kristin
Hi. When we flush our main floor toilet, a noise like a revving sound starts up in the basement. It will "rev" until the water refills in the toilet and then stops when its done filling. We are on a very tight budget and cannot pay a plumber just to look. Any tips for a "do it yourself" would be appreciated. Hope its not a serious problem. Been happening for about a week. Thanks in advance!
  4 answers
  • Higgins const. Higgins const. on Dec 22, 2013
    you may have a pump to take waste up grade, or just loud , not insulated pipes
  • Pete Wells Pete Wells on Dec 22, 2013
    Sounds like 'water hammer', sometimes replacing the inlet valve on the toilet works..the revving is vibrations in the water supply lines...
  • Carole Carole on Dec 22, 2013
    If it is 'water hammer' it is usually a loud abrupt banging noise when you turn a tap on or off. You can buy something from the hardware store to fix this problem, but I don't know if you could fit this yourself (best check the degree of difficulty with the hardware store!) or if you need a plumber. As it sounds like it is not an abrupt banging noise, but rather a 'revving' noise you are hearing, it does sound more like a motor or pump. Perhaps the pump is on it's way out and needs replacing? I would ask in the hardware store and see if they can shed any light on it before calling out a plumber. If it was uninsulated pipes, it would have been doing this all along I am guessing, but you say it has only been this last week, so my guess is a dodgy pump. If you get someone unqualified to try to fix this you might end up with a more expensive mess on your hands - water and leaks can do a lot of damage if someone stuffs up the plumbing for you, especially if the toilet is involved. Good luck!
  • Kristin Kristin on Dec 22, 2013
    Thank you for the suggestions!