Hammer pipe..........

[oscarsear]

Some of you maybe experiencing this problem. Whenever the water gets turned off in your home the system pounds out loud thumping and then settles down to its normal silence. This hammering noise emanates from somewhere inside the walls of the house. It was not there before, it starts to occur and then it keeps getting worse. I had this problem and it got seriously loud, like a truck was hitting the structure. Then I learned why it happens and found an easy fix. Your water piping has voids built into the system. They act as pneumatic capacitors accepting any variations introduced by quick changes in system pressures and dampening their impact. Over time these voids can loose the air within them and fill with water. Their dampening service is then gone. Then anytime the system is running and shut down (turn off any faucet or cycle a toilet) the pipes physically vibrate. Any of these vibrating pipes next to wood strike the wood and drum the walls from the inside. Hammer pipe. The fix is easy. Return the air to the voids, Shut off the water supply to the entire house and drain off the water in the pipe system at the lowest possible outlet. Now the entire system is void of water. Turn the water back on (slowly) and the operational status of these voids should be reestablished. It worked for me.

[CECAA850]

That will work if the plumber that built your house actually installed them to begin with. Newer homes being built now days with "cheap" labor aren't getting them. It's basically a "T" put close to a fixture that's pointed up with a 12" pipe attatched that's capped off. When water pressure is applied, water can't travel up the pipe because it's capped. The trapped air acts as a water hammer arrestor.

When you shut the water off to your house and drain it, be sure to open all your faucets to allow air into the system.

[Cal Blacksmith]

If the pipes are mounted solidly there should not be any movement in them, thus avoiding the problem. If you do have a problem you can plumb in anti hammer devices. They are cheep and they are a divided cylinder, like a shock on your car, so they can not fill with water.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/waterhammerarresters.html

[Chris A]

Your water piping has voids built into the system. They act as pneumatic capacitors accepting any variations introduced by quick changes in system pressures and dampening their impact.

They're called "accumulators" in the hydraulics profession. The type that you identify are the least expensive by just adding piping with dead-headed ends--pointed upward. There are also bladder, annular diaphram, or piston-type accumulator designs, too.

[CECAA850]

If the pipes are mounted solidly there should not be any movement in them, thus avoiding the problem. If you do have a problem you can plumb in anti hammer devices. They are cheep and they are a divided cylinder, like a shock on your car, so they can not fill with water.

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/waterhammerarresters.html

Even solidly installed pipes can shake loose over time without water hammer arrestors. The device you linked to will do the trick but is much more expensive than a section of capped pipe ($15.00 + a pop adds up). They will also fail over time as any moving part will (bladder or spring depending on the style). I just had a bladder fail in a RO filter tank. If I could have fixed it by draining and refilling, I'd have been $$$$$$ ahead.

[moray james]

once when I was in college at a party someone handed me a pipe which hit like a hammer. Good advice though thanks. Best regards Moray James.

[CECAA850]

once when I was in college at a party someone handed me a pipe which hit like a hammer. .

After it hit you what noise went through your head? Was it BONG!!!!?????

[moray james]

Hard to remember as it was so long ago and I was going down for the count at the time but Bong sounds about right. You have to be careful cause some of these pipes will have crack in them. Best regards Moray James.

[Guest " "]

sounds good....wish I knew about this .....my fix was to find the pipe....drill a 1/4 hole near it along its run between each stud....then shoot it with low expansion foam...the foam wrapped around the pipe and keeps the pipe from banging the adjacent walls. draininging all the water out of the house lines once a year sounds much easier.

[moray james]

I had a pipe in my last house which would bang so hard it would make you jump when you heard it, a buddy solved the problem exactly the same way as discribed. Best regards Moray James

[germerikan]

STOP PIPES

[Jay481985]

If you have an older steam radiator system and experience water hammer as well, it might be because your slant fin radiator is angled downward. I just DIY repaired all my radiator steam valves and still had excessive water hammer when it came on, it also leaked water. Its because the slant fin radiator was angled in a way that the steam condensed back to water but could not be evacuated back down the pipe due to the angle. Hence there was a pool of water right next to the steam valves release. When the hot steam came up it pushed the water out of the steam valve release and it also caused the steam tohit the cold water and collapse on itself caused the major ping within the copper piping (not good). I angled the slant fin radiators and now no noise and no water leaking.