When you switch off the water intake, it’s not uncommon to hear the metal pipes in your home plumbing create loud banging noises. Unfortunately, this sound, often known as “water hammer,” isn’t only irritating. Water hammer is a potentially dangerous condition that can cause damage to your plumbing system. Water hammer, also known as hydraulic shock in technical circles, occurs when water abruptly stops or changes direction. A shock wave travels through your pipes as a result of this, causing them to shift, shake, and crash together.
If left unattended, water hammer can cause major plumbing issues. You’ll discover all you need to know about this bothersome plumbing sound, including what causes it, how it may impact your plumbing, and (most importantly) how to stop it, in the sections below.
What Exactly Is A Water Hammer?
The pressure spike that occurs when a fluid is forced to stop or change direction at a rapid rate is known as water hammer. This shift in motion sends a shockwave through the pipes, causing them to slam and shake. The sound of water “hammering” into valves and pipelines gives rise to the term “water hammer.”
We’d like to point you that water hammers can occur for a variety of causes, including excessive water pressure. Check your water pressure gauge and make any necessary adjustments to see if your water pressure is the issue.
What Impact Will It Have On Your Plumbing?
Over time, water hammer can damage and wear down pipe joints and valves. Pipes that have been worn out may burst, leak, or separate from their connections. When a shockwave occurs as a result of excessive water pressure, it might be dangerous to your health. People who aren’t prepared for a shower that is excessively hot or too powerful may be physically harmed by high water pressure.
What Can You Do To Prevent This From Happening Again?
Water hammer can be fixed in a variety of methods. We’ll go over the most popular and effective options.
securing dangling pipes: Even a modest water hammer might cause your pipes to bang and tremble if they aren’t properly secured. The simplest and most cost-effective method to solve the problem is to secure them. To secure pipes at studs or joists, tighten loose pipe straps or hangers, wrap pipe segments in pipe insulation to act as shock absorbers, or install extra straps or hangers. This approach will not heal serious instances, but it will aid in the prevention of damage in moderate ones.
Place an air chamber: Water hammer occurs when water suddenly comes to a halt inside a pipe, causing a forceful shockwave. The water slams into the just-closed pipe valves, causing a shockwave to go back into the pipe. Water will not slam into the valve wall if an alternate channel for water to rebound is installed after the valve closes. A short segment of vertical pipe is put near possibly troublesome valves to create an air chamber. When you close the valves, it gives water and extra force a somewhere to go. Plumbing with pipe air chambers can be retrofitted fast and easily by a professional.
Mechanical water shock arrestors should be installed: When an air chamber cannot be installed, mechanical shock arrestors are the best option for severe hydraulic shock problems. They’re a gadget that consists of an air bladder and a spring that you place around plumbing junctions. Mechanical water shock arrestors accomplish precisely what their name implies: they stop the flow of water. They absorb and neutralise the shockwave formed when water slams against closed valve walls, preventing it from reverberating through your pipes.
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