pressure regulator

For a few months now, the water pipes in our house have been making this terrible noise like someone is beating on them with a hammer. It only happens when we use the sink in the guest bathroom. It’s driving my wife and I crazy, my wife is ready to sell the house and move
Dear Banging Pipes in Grass Valley,

This can be tricky. There are a couple things that can cause the water pipes to hammer. First I would check to see if the house has a pressure reducing valve on the water main. It would be installed somewhere along the main line either outside or just inside where the pipe enters the house. A pressure reducing valve uses a rubber diaphragm to regulate the incoming water pressure. Sometimes this diaphragm can become loose or worn and when water runs along it, it will vibrate like a reed on a wind instrument.