Why does water make that woosh noise flowing through pipes even though it’s not “hitting” anything?

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I don’t mean banging or any unusual noises, I’m just talking about the usual noise of flowing water. What about the process of water flowing through pipes actually causes that sound? Raindrops make a sound because they’re hitting the ground, but water flowing through a pipe isn’t hitting anything…is it?

In: Physics

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

In most sewer and drainage systems, there’s an air gap above the water within the pipe. Depending on what the pipe is used for, you can hear as water hits the inside of the pipe or turbulence at the surface of a constant flow. These sounds bounce around the air gap inside the pipe and can be heard outside of it.

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