Usually extremely busy with my day job, I finally had the time to follow up on a long-standing issue. For some months, the plumbing in the house had been groaning and yammering after a water appliance had been used - for example, when a toilet was flushed, or the dishwasher or washing machine was operating. We dubbed it “Moaning Myrtle” after the Harry Potter character.
The noise was prominent and sustained and could be heard throughout the house, and also from the driveway and pavement. I figured that passers-by would think it was a “prisoner in the basement” moaning away and clunking on the pipes.
There was no blockage or drainage problem, and no other manifestation besides the sounds of misery and lament.
I had resigned myself to the fact that I’d have to fork out for a plumber to diagnose and fix the issue unless it would cause (or had caused) damage to the pipes. However, on the off chance that it might be related to a new meter that South East Water had installed some months before the problem manifested, I first lodged a service request on their website. A couple of days later, a friendly South East Water technician knocked on the door, confirmed there was a known manufacturing fault with the meter which caused vibration, and promptly replaced the meter.
The chatty house has now fallen silent and I am grinning from ear to ear that I saved myself the plumbing fee.
Kudos to South East Water for their prompt and professional attention.
