The most noise pipes in good condition make is, at the most, a soft “whoosh.” Hydraulic transience or hydraulic shock, better known as water hammer, makes very loud bangs in the pipes. Over time, water hammer can cause pipes not only to leak but burst. The bad news is that water hammer is a common problem. The good news is that it can often be quickly fixed.
What Causes Water Hammer?
Water is heavy. When it moves through pipes in different directions, this heaviness is magnified, causing a liquid shock wave. These shock waves cause pressure to build up in pipes. Water isn’t springy, so the effect is like slamming a solid through the pipes. There are four main causes of water hammer.
- Loose pipes: When pipes are laid, they are secured to the rest of the home. Over time, these pipe supports or pipe clips loosen up. Pipes often become loose in basements and crawlspaces.
- Water pressure is too high: Moving water normally creates high pressure. Pipes are designed to handle a normal amount of pressure from moving water. If the pressure gets too high, banging sounds result.
- Water in air chambers: To help reduce water pressure, pipes have air chambers or places where water can rise and fall without slamming into the sides of pipes. There should always be air in these chambers. Sometimes, when water moves, it completely fills these chambers.
- Something wrong with an appliance’s pipes: All it takes is one pipe to cause water hammer. These are often pipes to an appliance. The constant changes in pressure can cause these pipes to become loose or damaged. Common appliances that cause water hammer include washing machines, dishwashers, sprinkler systems, water boilers, and ice makers.
Fixing Water Hammer
Never ignore loudly banging pipes, since water hammer can, over time, cause the pipes to burst. Although water hammer makes sounds that are ominous, sometimes fixing it takes simple solutions.
- Get loose pipes secured. It’s best to hire a plumber to make sure the best kind of device is used to steady a loose pipe. For example, some pipes in areas like crawlspaces or attics may need insulation as opposed to clips or straps. The type of pipe also works better with specific supports. Plumber’s tape may be all that’s needed as opposed to trying to screw in another hanger or clip. Galvanized or steel straps should never be used on copper pipes. This can cause electrolysis, which eventually causes holes in the pipes.
- Reduce the water pressure. Get the water pressure checked to see how much it needs to be reduced. There are easy ways to reduce the water pressure slamming through pipes. These include adjusting water pressure valves or adding a mechanical water shock arrestor. This is a little cylinder-shaped device similar to an air chamber. These solutions are not as expensive as they may at first sound.
- Install another air chamber. These can be added to existing pipes by a plumber, avoiding the need to replace whole sections of pipes.
- Get the water boiler inspected. Boilers are one of the most common appliances known to cause water hammer. Sometimes boilers overfire, especially if they are new boilers. Homeowners often unknowingly purchase boilers that are too large for their pipes to handle.
Get Water Hammer Fixed Today
Water hammer is just what it sounds like – water in pipes making hammering sounds. It’s caused by too much pressure in the pipes. Never ignore loud banging noises, since, over time, too much water pressure can burst the pipes. Often, fixing water hammer is simple. If you think you have water hammer, contact Ford’s Plumbing & Heating today.
