Have you recently been hearing strange noises in your water pipes? While the occasional noise in older pipes is normal, it’s essential to know when the banging and vibration sounds are normal and when they’re a sign of a more serious problem.
If left unattended, noisy pipes could lead to a more serious problem, more commonly referred to as water hammer. One of the key ways to deal with this is to call the plumber Melbourne residents rely on for year-round service.
Water Hammer Explained
Typically, your plumbing pipes are designed to allow water to flow through them uninterrupted. When this happens, you’ll hear that familiar whooshing sound of flowing water that indicates the water is flowing as it should.
However, if the water is shut off too suddenly, it creates a loud thumping and banging noise in the pipes. In some instances, these noises are accompanied by vibrations. This banging, thumping and shaking is known as a water hammer.
The Risks of Water Hammer
It’s essential to point out that your plumbing pipes have air chambers that help them absorb the shockwave that is created when there’s a sudden interruption of water flow. When working correctly, these chambers and valves can reduce the severity and pressure impact of the sudden shutdown.
Over time, the air chambers can become waterlogged, meaning that your pipes and home absorb the full brunt of the vibrations. This can eventually lead to structural damage. Furthermore, without perfectly working air chambers, sudden changes in the water pressure will cause pipes to weaken and eventually break. This can not only cause significant damage but can also be very costly!
Take Action Sooner Rather than Later
As with most other plumbing problems, it’s essential to keep track of when the problem starts, how often it happens, and where the area is where it happens the most often. This is usually easy to detect if you’re dealing with only one stretch of air chamber that has become faulty.
However, it can be more challenging to locate if your house is very old and the problem has been happening for some time. In this instance, it’s essential to have a plumber assess the problem. If the problem is relatively new, the good news is that there are a few effective measures you can take to reduce the problem.
- Reduce the Air Pockets
A common cause of water hammers is the air pockets that are created when there’s an interruption in the water flow. When you hear that tell-tale banging sound, start by turning on the tap closest to the water meter.
This should be followed by turning on all the taps one by one until they are all flowing. The taps don’t have to be opened widely, the idea is just to get the water flowing again. After a few minutes, start turning them off in reverse order. This should release the air pockets if the chamber isn’t already damaged.
- Opt for a Water Pressure Limiting Valve
Another top cause of water hammer is high water pressure. To combat this issue, ask your residential plumber to install a water limiting valve at the water meter.
- Install Different Taps
If you’ve noticed that the banging and thumping in your pipes coincides with the installation of new taps, the taps could be the problem. Modern mixer taps that only require a single flick to turn the water off can cause a water hammer because the water is shut off so quickly.
In this instance, it’s a good idea to replace the taps with soft-close taps. The difference is that with a soft-close tap, closing happens slower, which allows the water pressure to slow down, rather than abruptly stop.
- Install Water Hammer Arrestors
When multiple appliances are connected to the same set of taps, the constant switching on and off of water and sudden intervals can also lead to a water hammer. In this instance, you can opt to install hammer arrestors at the cold water outlet.
You can do this as a DIY job if you know how, or, to prevent any issues with the installation down the line, ask your local plumber to install them for you. They will be able to assess whether this will actually solve the problem and also how many to add and to which taps.
- Replace Intake Connections
Intake connections on devices such as washing machines and dishwashers can also cause water hammers as they also shut water on and off suddenly as they fill up. Swap out the intake hoses with wider ones to better facilitate the water flow.
Final Thoughts
While you may not be familiar with the term water hammer, chances are you may actually be hearing it around your home every day. If you’re not sure if the noises you’re hearing are a serious concern, speak to your local plumber to assess the pipes, taps and other fixtures that may be contributing to the problem. This will give you peace of mind that no additional damage is happening behind those loud banging sounds!
