Fixing train noises in your tap

Q. Shirisha asks: I open any tap in my house and I hear train-like noises. It also feels as if air is being sucked into the tap! When we use two taps the noise disappears. Using two taps is not a permanent solution. So tell us what kind of problem we are facing and how to fix it.

A. If faucets screech when you turn them on and pipes hum when water's running, chances are you have a bad main-inlet valve or a bad pressure-regulator valve. Water enters a home at only one point. If all faucets groan and howl the same throughout the house, the main-inlet valve is bad where water enters your home. Over time, rubber gaskets can become brittle. Running water rushes in, passing over the gasket and acts as does a reed in a clarinet. Pipes carry the sound to every faucet and fixture, making it hard to pin down the source. In this case, check the main-inlet valve, but if it screeches at only one location, check the gasket of that particular faucet. Repairs can be done with basic tools.