pipes vibrating after new water heater and farting around

[Matt]

Call a plumber.

[SCA]

I recently had a new water heater installed around late Dec 2004 and now occasionally I hear these really loud vibrations in the shower/tub area. I don't know if it water hammer or what.

When I open the hot water supply in the tub (letting the water run), the noise subsides to barely audible (compared to jackhammer/jetnoise when closed). The sound also momentarily stops when I open a different faucet in the bathroom area. When I close the bathtub supply valve (hot water again) the noise stops completely. The shower/tub plumbing seems to have some sort of problem that I tried to fix. There is a handle that turns one way to supply the shower head and the other way to supply the tub. The valve must be broken because it doesn't work entirely (when fully turned for the shower, water still comes out the tub faucet). The hot and cold water handles are separate. I tried to replace the tub/shower valve but couldn't get it out (I don't know it's supposed to come out). The hot water valve was replaced a couple of weeks before the new water heater (no noise problems). I tried to get the tub/shower valve out again in early Feb, so I don't know if I knocked some crud loose in the system or what.

Anybody got any ideas on how to fix this? For all you wags, yes, somebody already suggested "call a plumber".

Thanks

[Joseph Meehan]

The plumber can figure out how to get it out. I suspect you will find the problem right in that area and someone who knows what to look for and how to look at it, is going to have to take a look and then take corrective action. I don't think it is going to be something that can easily done from here.