Messages and Online Forum Q&A

Re: Water hammer

From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Plumbing
Date: 21 Mar 2000
Time: 23:44:00
Remote Name: 207.82.209.51

Comments

Water hammer is generally due to resonance of the pipe, resulting from a shock wave. It is most common with quick-activating valves, such as sprinkler systems and washing machines. If you simply replaced a small section of existing galvanized pipe with copper, this would generally not result in the condition you describe. There could be several possible factors in effect.

1) Be sure that the pipe in the area of the repair is properly secured and anchored. You may have weakened the run with your splice, resulting in additional vibration.

2) Make sure that the interior dimension of the copper pipe is consistent with the old pipe. It's possible that rust accumulation inside the old pipe is creating a flow discontinuity where it joins the new pipe.

3) It's also possible that while performing your repair, some extraneous residue remained inside the pipe, such as iron chunks or copper filings. Go to all your faucets and remove the aerators...and flush the system thoroughly through.

4) If the problem persists, you may need to install special water hammer arrestors to mitigate the problem. However, in a properly installed plumbing system, this is generally not necessary and should only be used as a last resort.

Please report back on your tests so we can learn what solution you find. Good luck!

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