Are the pipes expanding or do I have a leak?
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When I flush the toilet or run the faucet at the sink, I hear dripping behind the wall in my bathroom.Is this dripping noise just pipes expanding or do I have a leak in my pipes? How can I tell without cutting a whole in the wall?
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It could be condensation on your pipes from being warm inside and the water being cold coming into your house. Either way in order to avoid a seriously damaged wall, floor, sub floor etc you should really investigate. If you know someone with a camera scope you could get away with only making a small hole in order to check it out. But a bigger hole is a lot cheaper to fix than what could happen if left unchecked.
Cutting out drywall and then patching is very inexpensive compared to the damage a water leak behind the walls could do. You could end up with wet rot, dry rot, and even mold. I’d cut s hole and inspect and then call s plumber to inspect.
I would cut a small inspection hole in the wall. About 4" square would be enough. Use a mirror and flashlight and look for any leaks when the sink is on or toilet flushed. Patching the hole is not hard. If you have a leak you'll end uo cutting a bigger hole anyway.
If your walls are plaster, try the inspection camera and a small hole before tearing into the wall.
Thanks for the information! I’ll cut a whole in the Sheetrock to check it out!