If you can hear water running with all the taps off, it is often a toilet cistern, a loft tank or an appliance quietly filling. Sometimes, though, the sound can come from a leak on a pipe you cannot see. Tracking down where the noise comes from, and when it happens, is the best first step.
Common Everyday Sources of the Sound
A toilet is one of the most common causes. After a flush, the cistern refills, but if the fill valve or flush valve is not sealing, it may keep running on or refill now and then. Listen near each toilet and look for a ripple of water in the pan.
Many homes also have a cold water storage cistern in the loft. It refills whenever water is drawn from it, so you may hear it filling after a bath or shower, even once the taps are off. If it keeps filling for a long time, the float valve may need checking.
Appliances can also make noises. A washing machine or dishwasher may take in water during a cycle. A water softener may run a regeneration cycle, often at night. An outside tap with a worn washer can drip or run without you noticing.
When the Sound Could Mean a Leak
If you have ruled out toilets, tanks and appliances, the sound may be coming from a leak. This could be on the supply pipe coming into the home, or on internal pipes under floors or behind walls. A steady hiss or trickle that never stops can be a sign.
Not every noise is the water supply, though. Central heating pipes can tick, gurgle or creak as they warm up and cool down. These sounds often follow the heating timer, so note whether they only happen when the heating is on.
Using Your Water Meter as a Check
If you have a water meter, it can help show whether water is actually being used. Thames Water explains a simple meter test for identifying leaks. It involves turning off appliances, closing the inside stop valve and comparing two meter readings taken 30 minutes apart.
Only close the stopcock if it is safe and you know where it is. The result can help narrow down where the problem might be, but it does not pinpoint the exact spot.
Getting the Noise Properly Investigated
Strange water sounds can be hard to trace, because noise travels along pipes. If you cannot find the source, plumbing fault finding in Swindon can help work through the likely causes step by step. If a leak looks likely, our page on water leak detection explains more.
Before you call, jot down when you hear the sound, how long it lasts and where it seems loudest. If the running sound will not stop, Emergency Plumber Swindon is happy to talk it through on 01793 569521.