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The Whistling Tap: What Will You See (Hear) Any Given Day.

By Robert Butler

Home Inspector with Aspect Inspection

March 13, 2011 03:27 PM

The Whistling Tap

Oh yeah, this is a first for me. I've never run across this before. Just listen to this;

I've never heard anything like it until today. Adjusting the shut off valve made no difference, and it only happened on the cold water side.

The video is not actually made on my phone, it's from todays inspection (camera) but it's my first YouTube posting. So that makes it another first.

In this business you can never predict what you'll see on any given day. This house had lot of amateur work. Most of it was cabinets and flooring but this weekend warrior dabbled in electrical and plumbing too.

Here's the view under the sink. Under sink

How many errors can you spot and what appears to be missing? (Hint; a dishwasher is installed to the right of this cabinet.)

N.B The 'whistle' has to be a variation on what we call 'water hammer' or 'pipe knocking'. It's likely hammering at just the right frequency to set up the harmonics to 'whistle'.

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Ron Marshall

Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN

Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Interesting. And that would drive me nuts. What was the outcome? Was/is there a fix for it?

Mar 13, 2011 03:32 PM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Despite the fact that I would like to be able to tune it and 'play' different notes, that's not likely to happen. Installation of a capped air chamber on an offset in the cold water supply line near the shut off valve will fix it.

Mar 13, 2011 04:21 PM

Donald Hester

NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA

NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Robert, good one.

Maybe this should of been "two trap or not to trap is the question" ; )

Mar 14, 2011 04:42 PM

Charles Buell

Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA

Seattle Home Inspector

Bob that is quite the whistle----but not much of a tune:)

Mar 14, 2011 04:54 PM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Did you notice Don that the copper-to-abs-drain for the dishwasher has no trap?

Charles I tried adjusting the pressure with the supply shut off valve to modulate the tone, but it made no difference.

Mar 15, 2011 03:03 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That whistle must be in the mechanism! That should teach Canada not to buy stuff from China!

Is that copper tubing the drain line coming from the DW on the right?! Is there a shut off for the DW?

I guess they don't believe in disposals...

Mar 16, 2011 08:08 AM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Jay the copper that is joined to the ABS drain is the DW drain, with no trap. No shut off for the DW either.

Disposals are discouraged here. Municipalities don't want the extra waste treatment burden.

Mar 16, 2011 04:29 PM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

When I was a kid we had a steel bucket in the back yard where we put food "garbage" (our word). It was no fun in winter. Geez, what do you guys do!?

Mar 16, 2011 11:57 PM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Compost is the word for it. Municipalities here are now doing recycling in a major way. Once we had a garbage pickup two days a week. Now one day is garbage, next day is the blue bins (paper, glass, and metal recyclables) and they are now doing pilot programs for 'green bins' that will pick up kitchen and yard waste for compost recycling. Or you can use a yard composter in your garden.

Disposals are still seen in condos and other multi unit structures and high-rises where the stockpiling and handling of kitchen waste is problematic.

Mar 17, 2011 02:21 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Yummie! Wouldn't you love to have that job!!?? Go by people's homes and pick up the "green" bins! How can that job possibly pay enough?

Give me my 3/4 horsepwer disposal any day! That sucker can grind up a brick!

Mar 17, 2011 02:58 AM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

The job is automated to a great degree. The truck pulls up to the curb, a mechanical arm picks up the bin, tips it in and put the empty bin back down on the sidewalk or driveway. The driver stays in his air conditioned cab (or heated) and uses a joy stick control. He never has to touch the stuff. it pays well, he's either a municipal worker or a subcontractor to the city.

A 3/4 horsepower motor is powerful. I have a router that big and won't ever need bigger.

So it can chew up a brick, but do you want a brick in your drain, even if it is finely chopped?

Mar 17, 2011 03:10 AM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

All of which means the program doesn't break even! Thank goodness the planet is saved though... ;)

Grinding bricks sharpens the disposal blades... again a ;)

Mar 17, 2011 09:55 AM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

It will because Montreal is mostly an island and this process and the recycling is supposed to reduce the land fill needs by 60%. Thats where the value really comes from. (All this assumes the facts, figures and cost projections are reasonably accurate. But thats politics in the big city.)

Mar 17, 2011 04:12 PM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I read an article many years ago written in 1888. It concerned the hideous and huge land fill at the edge of Washington DC. Barely 1.5 miles from the Capitol Building, the article said that given the conditions and future prospects, that landfill would take over the city and Washington would have to move. It was a true environmental disaster.

This is what they did with that landfill, starting about 1960. It was then called DC Stadium. It turns out that landfills are EXCELLENT foundations for really heavy stuff!

Since then another stadium, FEDEX Field, was built in Maryland, though not on a landfill.

Maybe it's time for another Montreal baseball team!

Mar 18, 2011 01:27 AM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Now you're talking!

Mar 18, 2011 02:17 AM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Definitely interesting and you do get accustomed to little conveniences like the disposal.