Groaning Water Pipes

So....I have an issue with water pipes that groan, sounding something like my Mother-in-Law.  Sometimes, I will run a faucet, flush a toilet, or take a shower and there is a loud, prolonged groaning sound that's audible throughout the house.  If I turn on a faucet while the groaning is occuring, the noise will stop, but frequently starts again as soon as I turn off the faucet.  Sometimes the noise goes on for more than 10 minutes.  I notice the problem during the summer months when I have my garden sprinkler system activated, but the noise occurs even if the sprinklers are not actually on.    The problem is inconsistent and I've checked the sprinkler feed line to ensure it's secure.  The sound is coming from the area around my utility room where I have the water heater, main water line, and sprinkler feed line.  

Thanks for any suggestions. 

arhodie;

 I don't know if you have received an answer elsewhere, but there could be a few things causing the "groaning" in your plumbing.

1. Your vent for the plumbing system could be plugged. Checking this requires a trip to the roof, so it may be a job that you would like to leave to a pro. Not only do you risk a fall, but if you find it is clogged, and attempt to run a snake through it there is always a possibility of causing damage inside if the snake takes a detour.

2. You didn't mention how old your house is. If it is an older house it may not have air chambers built in to the end of the plumbing runs to prevent water hammer.

3. It may have air chambers on the runs, but they may have become waterlogged. If that is the case you would want to turn off the water where it comes in to the house, then open every faucet in the house so the water will drain out completely. Once the faucets are open flush any toilets , then let it set for just a while so the water can drain out. Go around, and close all of the faucets, open your main valve, and let your system refill. This will allow the air chamber to drain out, and when you turn the water back on it fills the chambers with air.

With the pipes "groaning" it sounds more like a vent problem, but the way diy stuff goes for me,  I never assume anything. After 44 years of working on remodels, and rebuilds I know ,that I don't know anything. As soon as you start getting cocky thinking you are good at something you will run across something that will leave you scratching your head.

 I sure hope this will be of some help to you. Good luck.

It would be good to hire a pro to check your piping system, as you would not know if there is more to it. It may not be cheap but it could be worth it. Sometimes you may think that the pipes in your house may be straight forward, but there might be more to it. I recall that we had the same experience with the pipes at home. I initially wanted to do it on my own, good thing my brother who is an experienced plumber, was visiting and took a look at the system. It was later found out that some built in storage was about to collapse, and made a pressure in one of the major pipes, which causes the latter to rattle and groan.