sound of water running when none is
August 28, 2015 7:03 PM Subscribe
I can hear water running behind / below my kitchen sink, but nothing is on. Also, nothing is wet.
I live in an older apartment building. I am on the top floor. While I was at work, some service guys were in my apartment earlier today to install kitchen cabinets. Since I got home from work, I have been hearing this running water sound in the kitchen behind and below the sink. There is no water running anywhere in my apartment. I do not have a washing machine. The sound was not previously present in the three weeks I've lived here.
I ran my hands below / around the sink and sink area; nothing is wet. It doesn't sound like something is getting wet - just the rushing water.
Is this a call-an-after-hours-plumber emergency, or can this be chill until Monday (besides, like, noise)? I don't want this to be flooding anyone's apartment or something.
I live in an older apartment building. I am on the top floor. While I was at work, some service guys were in my apartment earlier today to install kitchen cabinets. Since I got home from work, I have been hearing this running water sound in the kitchen behind and below the sink. There is no water running anywhere in my apartment. I do not have a washing machine. The sound was not previously present in the three weeks I've lived here.
I ran my hands below / around the sink and sink area; nothing is wet. It doesn't sound like something is getting wet - just the rushing water.
Is this a call-an-after-hours-plumber emergency, or can this be chill until Monday (besides, like, noise)? I don't want this to be flooding anyone's apartment or something.
Yes, of course this is an emergency plumbing problem because the water is destroying your walls and whatever is beneath you. Go look in the basement.
posted by ryanrs at 7:12 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ryanrs at 7:12 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Where are the hot water heaters? Radiator heat? Drain from the roof? It could be a lot of things.
If it is a leak, the people who live below you will likely confirm it shortly. Now might be the right time to act all neighborly and ask them about it.
posted by builderofscience at 7:13 PM on August 28, 2015
If it is a leak, the people who live below you will likely confirm it shortly. Now might be the right time to act all neighborly and ask them about it.
posted by builderofscience at 7:13 PM on August 28, 2015
I would also call your landlord afterhours/at home if possible.
posted by ryanrs at 7:14 PM on August 28, 2015
posted by ryanrs at 7:14 PM on August 28, 2015
Yes this is a 'call your landlord immediately' situation. If he punts it then I wouldn't worry about it.
posted by lester at 7:15 PM on August 28, 2015
posted by lester at 7:15 PM on August 28, 2015
Response by poster: okay, the noise is coming from this thing, which I think is the disposal. It might be new - they had said they were doing something about plumbing that I didn't pay attention to.
The noise seems contained to that device - that is, it doesn't seem to be in the walls now that I've isolated it.
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:17 PM on August 28, 2015
The noise seems contained to that device - that is, it doesn't seem to be in the walls now that I've isolated it.
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:17 PM on August 28, 2015
Oh, well if it's not pouring water inside the wall, then no, it's not an emergency.
But it is strange that your plumbing is making noises with no water running in the sink and dishwasher, etc off. Have you used the sink much since they worked on the plumbing? If the U-trap is empty, then it might conduct water noises from elsewhere in the building. Run the water in the sink for a few minutes (separately for each half is you have a double sink) to fill the trap. See if that stops the noise.
posted by ryanrs at 7:27 PM on August 28, 2015
But it is strange that your plumbing is making noises with no water running in the sink and dishwasher, etc off. Have you used the sink much since they worked on the plumbing? If the U-trap is empty, then it might conduct water noises from elsewhere in the building. Run the water in the sink for a few minutes (separately for each half is you have a double sink) to fill the trap. See if that stops the noise.
posted by ryanrs at 7:27 PM on August 28, 2015
You shouldn't hear a running water sound from the disposal unless there is water running through it, i.e. water running down the drain or draining from the dishwasher. Is it possible that the disposal is on and that's the sound you are hearing? Are you sure the sound is coming from the disposal?
Also, that wiring is not properly attached to the disposal unit. It doesn't look immediately dangerous from the angle in your picture, but it would be a good idea to get your landlord to fix it properly.
posted by ssg at 7:28 PM on August 28, 2015
Also, that wiring is not properly attached to the disposal unit. It doesn't look immediately dangerous from the angle in your picture, but it would be a good idea to get your landlord to fix it properly.
posted by ssg at 7:28 PM on August 28, 2015
In your picture, the corrugated plastic pipe in the upper right is a drain run from, perhaps, a dish washer into the disposal. Do you have a dish washer? If not, what is that pipe connected to?
I would suspect that there is water running through that pipe into the disposal, and the down the drain. If you look into the disposal through the sink drain, you might be able to see water running through the disposal.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:35 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would suspect that there is water running through that pipe into the disposal, and the down the drain. If you look into the disposal through the sink drain, you might be able to see water running through the disposal.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:35 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: There is indeed a dishwasher.
Just to liveblog, I ran the water for about a minute in each side of the sink (recommended above); the noise got a lot softer, but now it is actually leaking into my cabinet and on the floor. I found the emergency maintenance number, so am calling that.
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:41 PM on August 28, 2015
Just to liveblog, I ran the water for about a minute in each side of the sink (recommended above); the noise got a lot softer, but now it is actually leaking into my cabinet and on the floor. I found the emergency maintenance number, so am calling that.
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:41 PM on August 28, 2015
Best answer: OK, my working theory is that there is a crack in the U-trap in your sink, so it doesn't stay full of water. Usually the water in the trap prevents sounds and bad smells from the rest of the plumbing from exiting your sink.
If this theory is correct, then that cracked U-trap isn't an emergency. But if there's something else wrong, you (and your landlord) will be happy you called the emergency plumber.
posted by ryanrs at 7:57 PM on August 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
If this theory is correct, then that cracked U-trap isn't an emergency. But if there's something else wrong, you (and your landlord) will be happy you called the emergency plumber.
posted by ryanrs at 7:57 PM on August 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
Is it possible that the disposal is on and that's the sound you are hearing?
This was also my guess. Is there a switch where you can turn the disposal on and off? What happens to the noise when you do that?
posted by jessamyn at 8:23 PM on August 28, 2015
This was also my guess. Is there a switch where you can turn the disposal on and off? What happens to the noise when you do that?
posted by jessamyn at 8:23 PM on August 28, 2015
If this theory is correct, then that cracked U-trap isn't an emergency. But if there's something else wrong, you (and your landlord) will be happy you called the emergency plumber.
Just as a precaution you might want to move items in the area that are on (or very close) to the ground somewhere higher. Ask me how I know.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:09 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just as a precaution you might want to move items in the area that are on (or very close) to the ground somewhere higher. Ask me how I know.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:09 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Garbage disposals are really loud. even when there's no water in them and just the motor is running. I've never seen one, even an expensive one, that didn't make a really loud humming+whirring sound and some whooshing noise from the blades/mechanism. They also vibrate, and if you put your hand on it and it's not vibrating, then it's not on. I really really doubt this is just on, and i'm voting for the weird p trap gurgling water/gasses theory. Especially since water ran out when the sink was run.
posted by emptythought at 9:16 PM on August 28, 2015
posted by emptythought at 9:16 PM on August 28, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks so much, everyone. I had the weekend concierge person come see; he said it was not an emergency but left a note for Monday. The noise is still happening.
Garbage disposal is not on. I sacrificed some lemons to it to see if it was just hungry; the noise did not decrease. Something leaks a little when I turn on the water, but it's very little.I can't figure out where the leak is coming from. However, I've got a pan under the sink and it's collected nothing all night.
posted by quadrilaterals at 5:26 AM on August 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Garbage disposal is not on. I sacrificed some lemons to it to see if it was just hungry; the noise did not decrease. Something leaks a little when I turn on the water, but it's very little.I can't figure out where the leak is coming from. However, I've got a pan under the sink and it's collected nothing all night.
posted by quadrilaterals at 5:26 AM on August 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by quadrilaterals at 7:04 PM on August 28, 2015