People tell us all the time about little things around their home that bug them usually implying they’re “too much hassle” to fix. Perish the thought I say !

Water hammer (pipes banging in the wall when you turn a faucet off): usually caused by air in the system having dissipated.
To Fix: turn off water to house, open all your faucets (inside and out) and let water drain out of system. Close faucets and turn water back on. Problem is solved in most cases as this reintroduces the “lost” air creating a needed “cushion” in the pipes. If this doesn’t work, you can properly strap the loose pipes in the wall (hard) or have a plumber install a “shock arrestor” in the system, usually at the water heater (easy). Feeling cheap? Install a “Mini-Restor” yourself under any sink or on top of water heater

A/C is too loud. Usually occurs then the furnace is in a closet and the return air grill is directly under the closet door. This can be especially noisy if floor is a hard surface.
To fix: simply line the return air space under the furnace with sound absorbing material such as foam or duct board. I’ve even seen people use an old rug. To make it even quieter, install duct board “baffles” in there as well. An a/c man may be needed for this because if an amateur does it, the airflow may be impeded which is BAD. If neither of these actions work, an a/c can usually run a return air DUCT to your ceiling. This is not cheap but WILL solve your noise problem

Sudden drop in water pressure: Usually occurs when you have a prv (pressure reducing valve) at your meter, often buried next to your shutoff valve. The symptom occurs when more than 2 fixtures are on (like when you’re in the shower and someone flushes a toilet or turns on the dishwasher). SOMETIMES you can just turn the pressure up at the prv with a screwdriver but if this doesn’t work, you’ll need to replace the valve. Do not go over 80 psi ! I’d recommend only a plumber do this though you can save money by digging all around the old one to give him easier access (instead of paying HIM $95/hr. to do it).

We’ll cover more issues like this next month…