How Do You Get Air in Your Water Lines?

August 30, 2019

Plumbing is a very important system in each household, but it can suffer from a lot of potential problems. One of the most common ones is sputtering due to air in your water lines. In most cases it’s easy to solve, but although you might be tempted to try some DIY solutions, calling emergency plumbing in Orange County, CA is always the safest bet.

When you contact professionals, they can check your whole water system for any other plumbing problems, such as slow drains or leaking pipes. They can also flush iron from water pipes and get rid of that air in hot water lines. Here are the reasons why it appears there in the first place.

What causes air in hot water lines?

If you suspect there is air in your hot water lines, here are the tell-tale signs of it:

  • Sputtering – The water sputters when you turn on the hot water supply.
  • Irregular flow – The water flow is never constant, it either increases or decreases abruptly and sometimes there is a delay when turning on.
  • Pipe vibration – When the water pressure is low due to air flow, the pipes can sometimes vibrate.

Different water systems in Orange County can have different reasons for the presence of air in pipes and thus require different remedies.

Gravity-fed water

In most cases, air becomes trapped when the water supply is switched off for maintenance or other reasons. This also applies to other types of municipal water supplies.

Well-fed water

There are three different possible causes in this case:

  • Faulty check valve – This is potentially a very dangerous issue which should be examined by pros at once.
  • Methane – This is a natural gas, harmless to water, but it can cause air in pipes.
  • Short feed line – When it doesn’t reach the water, air can enter the line, especially during droughts.

Air only in hot water pipes

If only hot water pipes are filled with air, this means that it’s coming from your water heater. This is especially true for well-fed systems in Orange County where the heater hasn’t been cleaned for some time.

Why is there air in my water lines?

No matter what type of water system you have, air in your water lines can produce annoying sounds and disrupt your everyday activities. Regardless of its cause, here’s what you can do about it, but remember, these tasks are best left to professionals.

  • Turn off the water supply – Find the main water valve and shut it off by turning it clockwise as far as it can go. Knowing where the valve is in advance can save precious time.
  • Open the faucets – Open all the inside faucets and outdoor spigots to let all the trapped water and air out. Also, flush all toilets until they are empty.
  • Turn the supply back on – Close all the faucets, then turn the main supply back on and let water run again from the faucets to check if there are any more strange sounds.

EHS provides the best emergency plumbing in Orange County, CA

It’s highly likely that at some point you will experience having air in your water line. Instead of canceling the visit to South Coast Plaza to fix the water line, call EHS to do it for you. Not only are we familiar with all types of water systems, but also know all the quick and efficient remedies for hot air problems.

Our professional technicians are at your disposal 24/7 for all types of plumbing issues and emergencies, all you have to do is contact us!