Hot Water, PEX and Vibration

My sister-in-law's new house has a basement guest room that backs onto the equipment room. The gas hot water heater (domestic + radiant heat) is located up against the wall that separates the two rooms. When the HW tank cycles, the vibration/noise is transmitted to the guestroom wall via the PEX hanging on the studwork and the supports for the copper pipes coming out of the top of the tank (also attached to the studwork - no drywall on the equipment room side of the wall)

This makes a heck of a racket. I want to isolate the vibration from the partition wall as much as possible.

a) do I have to stick with the J clamp mounts for the PEX or can I use something with some flex to it (loop of copper strapping, say)? b) how much support does the copper rat's nest on top of the HW heater need? With my home tank, the copper is tied to the tank by the fittings, then to the overhead joists. There is no intermediate support to the vertical wall.

I'd post a picture if I could remember how/where to do it.

Jurisdiction is Ontario in case there are any building code experts in the audience.

Thanks, Chris

Reply to
Chris
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IMO the problem is the source of the noise....why is the HW tank so noisy? The transmission is a secondary issue.

But to minimize transmission, how about insulating the wall, sheathing it (something strong to screw the hardware to) & drywalling it?

Or got room for a second partition wall?

YMMV

cheers Bob

Reply to
BobK207

My hot water heater has PEX to it, I've never heard noise go through it.

As to supporting PEX, it shouldn't be taught or rigid, it needs to flex and bend as it heats and cools. I don't support my PEX with J clamps - used to, but I find that hoops work better

Reply to
Eigenvector

The PEX vibrates, the vibrations go into the wall structure throught the J clamps and come out as noise on the other side.

hoops? sounds promising, but I'm not sure what you mean. sort of U shaped copper (or plastic) with ears for nails? special PEX mounting hoop?

Chris

Reply to
Chris

The water heater doesn't seem particularly noisy up close. No worse than mine - bit of a whoosh at start up, then the fan, etc.

I think the real problem is the bone headed architect or plumbing contractor that installed the tank a couple of inches from a bedroom partition wall instead of on one of the available exterior walls.

Should be able to slide a sheet of drywall behind the tank, have to skip screws on a couple of studs

Chris

Reply to
Chris

According to Chris :

You need to dampen the PEX.

Any sort of U clamp. There's many different varieties in the plumbing or eletrical section. I've even resorted to PVC electrical conduit U clamps (for PVC irrigation lines).

A "cushion" may also help - scraps of fabric or rubber between the clamp and the PEX so keep it from moving.

Reply to
Chris Lewis

make sure flammables arent too close.

cement board may be better choice, doubt it would burn.

if your really into quiet fill wall cavatity with insulation

Reply to
hallerb

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