Water Hammer Problems Fixed
While water hammer sounds like a complex or foreign term, it’s very common and something you’ve probably experienced. If you have ever been in a home and heard thumping or pounding when you turned off a tap, you have witnessed the water hammer effect.
Water hammer is a fairly common occurrence in residential properties. What a lot of homeowners don’t realise is that banging or thumping water lines in your walls is a potentially serious issue, not just a simple annoyance.
At the very least excessive water pressure will eventually lead to leaks, but double up pressure spikes with a water heater featuring a failed pressure relief valve.
A water hammer occurs when water suddenly changes direction for example when you turn off the tap. The change causes pressure waves in the pipes and can be a plumbing nuisance to the point that when pressure is high, it can cause serious pipe damage.
Plumbing that’s properly installed has air chambers, or cushions, which compress when the shock wave hits. This softens the blow and preventing this hammering noise. The chambers can fail though, because water under pressure gradually absorbs the air and water hammer begins to occur.
Common Causes of Water Hammer
- poor pipe installation
- ‘flick mixer’ taps
- faulty tap washers
- solenoid valves on appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines
- high water pressure
How we fix Water Hammer
- We ensure pipe work is securely fastened during construction, It can be very difficult to do this later on. Other options include the use of water hammer suppression devices.
- Instead of ‘flick mixer’ taps that shut the water off suddenly, fitting‘soft close’ mixer taps with a built-in shock absorber system.
- If water hammer occur in a particular area,it may help to replace plastic or ceramic tap washers with brass tap washers. Ceramic washers can break easily and water will have to shut off at the mains to change.
- We can install water hammer arresters on washing machine taps. Often the solenoid valve in washing machines causes the pipes to rattle and clunk.
- Reducing your water pressure can also reduce water hammer., so we can fit a ‘pressure limiting valve’.
Contact Us Now!
We are more than happy to give advice on which solution is most suitable for your needs, depending on your Plumbing requirements. Why not ask us to view your property and discuss the various options with you now!