Whining in my pipes

On one of them, the water isn't shutting off. Might be the float's fault in which case bend it down; might be the stopper valve in which case I'd replace it.

Google said that? Google? I was not aware that Google is a plumbing service.

The flushing of any toilet changes the pressure in your plumbing system, lowering It at every fixture. That could certainly stop the whining until the system is back up to full pressure.

I suggest that you wait until you hear the whining and then turn off to fill valve to each toilet one at a time until the whining starts. Since you are not changing the pressure like you are when you flush, you should be able to isolate the problem.

While it is "whining", turn off one toilet at a time (using the stop beneath the tank). See which one causes the sound to cease.

Then, examine the float valve in that tank (some can be disassembled and cleaned; even a tiny bit of sand can leave it partially open; enough to vibrate as the water squeezes past, under pressure)

re: "turn off to fill valve to each toilet one at a time until the whining starts"

I meant "turn off to fill valve to each toilet one at a time until the whining stops"

Sorry.

How many "stops" beneath the tanks work after being unused for so long?

Thanks to all that replied. Since the noise was worse in my office, on a lark I wanted to see what happened with the spigots. Found that the hose outside my office was still on full and the sprayer was not triggered so it wasn't spraying. Apparently that was enough pressure to set it off. Turned it off and the noise went away. Probably still indicative of something getting ready to get weird, but I can live with the noise if it is only when my wife is watering the plants out front. Thanks again to all for the help.

I exercise all my stops at least once a year to make sure they keep working. I don't want to have to shut off the whole house if I need to repair 1 fixture.

All of ours (3 sinks, 3 toilets) are in perfect working order.

If yours *aren't*, rue the day a flexline fails, etc.!

If the float adjustment is bad water will be too high in the tank and running down the overflow in the middle. If the level is right and it is still using water, the flapper is not seating right. Both are huge water wasters.

install ball valves they last seemingly forever

I like the gray plastic angle stops. My nasty well water does not hurt them

Yup. I did that when we moved in, years ago. Quarter turn off/on.

Unfortunately, the "handles" on the stops are very small (poor choice of mine, at the time). So, I've made "adapters" that slips over them (as they are all identical, one adapter design suffices for all!) to give you something more substantial to hold onto (when you're crouched down trying to access the damn things!)

Yep, Google also does babysitting, provides recipes, gathers up archaic information like what is a fire plow, and has been known to settle legal cases. Google is the end all to all the world's problems.

I have seen something similar with a water pressure regulator. Increasing the pressure slightly made the noise stop. Something to consider.

Is it possible that closing one of the shut offs one at a time will help diagnose. One or two shut offs closed will make no change, and then closing other shut off will cause the whining to stop? That would help isolate the bad valve. Maybe the OP will get the whining valve first.

Then, in true man form he can say "Stop your whining. I shut you off."

The second version makes more sense.

Might be a good common sense diagnostic test.

Few people have such discipline, and attention to detail. Which makes a lot of money for plumbers. Just not YOUR money, eh?

Well, there goes a good usenet thread all to hell.

Anyhow, thanks for checking back. Follow up is rare now days. Rare that anyone takes the time to share what works, and what really happened.

Technical note to Gordon Shumway and Derby Dad. This is the same thread, so in your ear if the Re: offends you. Sit on it, Potsie.