Old faucets are notorious for being noisy, which makes sense because age causes certain parts to wear out, as you'll see below. However, newer faucets can also be guilty of squealing, shrieking, or banging when you turn them on or off. Check out these three reasons for faucet noise and use them to help you either fix the faucet yourself or decide if it's worth bringing in a plumbing repair service.

1. Water hammer

A banging sound in the pipes can occur when you turn the faucet off. This happens because the water that was on its way out is suddenly stopped and rebounds back through the pipe, causing vibrations that escape from the pipe as banging noises. The solution for this problem is to turn off the water to your house and then open the faucets until all the water drains out of the pipes. Then you can turn the water back on. A handy homeowner can usually figure out how to do this, but if you feel intimidated by it, go ahead and call a plumber.

2. Lubrication problems

If your faucet makes a screeching sound when you turn it on and off, it may need lubrication. To test this theory, you can try unscrewing the handle and spraying lubricant on the threads, then re-attaching the handle. If your faucet is extremely old, it may simply be that the threads have worn down enough that they no longer fit together correctly. This may require the replacement of part of the faucet so that the threads will function correctly.

3. Washer problems

Old washers can also cause noisy faucets. As a washer ages, it can harden and give out, becoming cracked and no longer functioning. This is an easy fix. All you have to do is find the washer inside the faucet and check it for cracks and hardening, then replace it with the same type of washer if necessary. Use the old washer as a guide to finding a new washer of the same size and specifications.

These are three of the most common problems that cause noisy or squeaky faucets. They'll give you a head start on fixing all the squeaking faucets in your home, but remember that there are other reasons for faucet noise as well. If you've tried all three of these solutions and you still find you're having problems with squeaking, you may wish to call in a plumber to diagnose some less common causes of squeaking.