You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Other discussions not related to the Permanent Portfolio

Moderator: Global Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:29 pm

You know that noise you sometimes get when you shut off a faucet? A loud rattling.

I followed the steps from google because my dad got old and no longer remembers. :-(

1) Turn off main water valve
2) turn on the highest faucet in your home
3) turn on the lowest faucet. Let it drain, turn it off
4) Open main water valve
5) Let top faucet run and when it's done sputtering, turn it off.

I came upstairs to find green water in the sink with black particles. They didn't tell me about that. Meanwhile, the water hammer persists.
Any ideas?
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
WiseOne
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2692
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:08 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by WiseOne » Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:42 pm

My last apartment had that problem in spades. Believe me I sympathize!

I really don't know what the magic is, but it has to do with problems with old steam pipes & valves that probably have to be replaced. The super in my current building is very attentive to those things, and as a result I have not heard a single knock the whole time I've lived here. In my last place, the super was always telling me he would drain the pipes when I reported the water hammer, but it only worked temporarily if at all.

I was able to minimize the problem by keeping the radiator control on full blast or closed completely. The water hammer would happen only if it was partially open.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:49 pm

Thanks, WiseOne.

Some of the plumbing was redone during our renovation 5+ years ago, but now I'm thinking I've heard the vibrations a long time ago from the laundry machines. It's only the bathroom faucet at the top of the house making the same noise that's new.

Maybe I should get some "arrestors" installed. This sucks. We just had a power outage and power fluctuations. I wonder what's next.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
User avatar
Tortoise
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2751
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:35 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by Tortoise » Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:57 pm

I've read that excessive water pressure can cause water hammer. Might want to check your water pressure, and if it's much higher than 55 psi that might be the culprit.
User avatar
I Shrugged
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2062
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:35 pm

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by I Shrugged » Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:27 pm

Usually the solution is to have a stub of pipe sticking upwards from a tee in the line. I don't know how long it should be, but I suppose a foot or two would be nice. When the line gets pressurized, that stub will contain trapped air under pressure. It will cushion the shock of shutting off a faucet, that causes the hammering.
User avatar
Hal
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1349
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 1:50 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by Hal » Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:39 pm

I Shrugged wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:27 pm
Usually the solution is to have a stub of pipe sticking upwards from a tee in the line. I don't know how long it should be, but I suppose a foot or two would be nice. When the line gets pressurized, that stub will contain trapped air under pressure. It will cushion the shock of shutting off a faucet, that causes the hammering.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/b ... -arrestors
Aussie GoldSmithPP - 25% PMGOLD, 75% VDCO
User avatar
I Shrugged
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2062
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:35 pm

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by I Shrugged » Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:50 pm

Hal wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:39 pm
I Shrugged wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:27 pm
Usually the solution is to have a stub of pipe sticking upwards from a tee in the line. I don't know how long it should be, but I suppose a foot or two would be nice. When the line gets pressurized, that stub will contain trapped air under pressure. It will cushion the shock of shutting off a faucet, that causes the hammering.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/b ... -arrestors
Yes, that's the same thing, only better.
User avatar
Lonestar
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:56 pm

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by Lonestar » Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:03 pm

I Shrugged wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:27 pm
Usually the solution is to have a stub of pipe sticking upwards from a tee in the line. I don't know how long it should be, but I suppose a foot or two would be nice. When the line gets pressurized, that stub will contain trapped air under pressure. It will cushion the shock of shutting off a faucet, that causes the hammering.
I've had success with as little as 6" of vertical pipe. Probably 12" would be better if there is room. The closer to the faucet the better.

I also had good results on a water heater that was hammering by using a small pressure tank (think it was about a 2 gal tank). It was installed the same way on top of a tee right at the water heater.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:25 pm

Thanks, guys.
Much appreciated.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
glennds
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:24 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by glennds » Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:38 pm

dualstow wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:29 pm
You know that noise you sometimes get when you shut off a faucet? A loud rattling.

I followed the steps from google because my dad got old and no longer remembers. :-(

1) Turn off main water valve
2) turn on the highest faucet in your home
3) turn on the lowest faucet. Let it drain, turn it off
4) Open main water valve
5) Let top faucet run and when it's done sputtering, turn it off.

I came upstairs to find green water in the sink with black particles. They didn't tell me about that. Meanwhile, the water hammer persists.
Any ideas?
Hi, the only differences I was taught from your outlined procedure are the following:
1. Keep the lowest faucet open when you re-open the main. Your summary says you closed it before re-opening the main.
2. Flush all the toilets when the main is closed while the faucets are draining
3. When re-opening the main, do so slowly
4. After re-opening the main and the faucets are finished sputtering and building up flow, start closing the lower faucets first and work your way up to the highest

I think this is obvious, but just to confirm, you are only opening the cold side of the faucets, right?

Is the hammering only happening at one particular sink? If so, you could try closing down the shut off valve under that sink a little bit at a time to see if it helps. Sometimes excessive flow through the shut off valve and supply line can cause hammer. If it's happening at multiple locations, this is probably not the problem.

I don't know if anything I've added is helpful, but hopefully so.
User avatar
Mark Leavy
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:20 pm
Location: US Citizen, Permanent Traveler

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by Mark Leavy » Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:59 am

glennds and dualstows procedure is great. But it only works if the plumber put the 12" length of upright extra pipe in the line above the fixture.

What the procedure is doing is draining out any water that was in that pipe so that you have an air bubble up there. That air bubble is your shock absorber to dampen the water hammer. When you shut off the water at the tap, all of the water that is currently moving in the pipe compresses that air bubble which acts like a big spring to absorb the shock - and avoid water hammer.

If you don't have the pipe stubs, the procedure doesn't do anything.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Thu Aug 20, 2020 7:28 am

Thanks, guys. I don’t have the pipe stubs.

i would say the vibration is only in the bathroom (top of the house), but now that I think about it, the clotheswasher has been pretty loud at the beginning of the cycle ever since renovation.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
pp4me
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1190
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:12 pm

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by pp4me » Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:09 am

Did the hammer start after replacing a faucet?

I didn't think that could happen but it did when I replaced my shower faucet because it was leaking. With the help of google I found a suggestion that fixed it. 1.) Turn off the main. 2.) Remove the faucet. 3.) Turn the main back on and let it run for 60 seconds. 4.) Put faucet back.

Worked like a charm.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Thu Aug 20, 2020 9:50 am

Didn’t replace a faucet, but some things changed when we replaced a lead intake pipe in the street. The water pressure got better in the shower and worse in the kitchen. :D That was several years ago.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
WiseOne
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2692
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:08 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by WiseOne » Fri Aug 21, 2020 7:59 pm

This is sounding like a plumbing whodunit!!!

Since the water hammer started with your renovation, why not call the plumber you hired for that project? This is complicated - you replaced a pipe in the street??? - and the person who did the work should be in the best position to figure this out.
boglerdude
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1313
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:40 am
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by boglerdude » Fri Aug 21, 2020 10:57 pm

We just got a hammer in the kitchen when we installed a new faucet with side sprayer. Hammer hits when you turn the water on more than halfway.
glennds
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:24 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by glennds » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:19 am

boglerdude wrote:
Fri Aug 21, 2020 10:57 pm
We just got a hammer in the kitchen when we installed a new faucet with side sprayer. Hammer hits when you turn the water on more than halfway.
In your case you might try turning down the valves at the supply line angle stops a bit and see if that helps.
WiseOne
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 2692
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:08 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by WiseOne » Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:08 am

Just remembered this....

I get water hammer sometimes when I change the undersink filter in my mother's kitchen. I've tried just letting the water run for a while but that never fixes it. Instead I remove the filter and replace it. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries but eventually it works. I think the cause in that case is an imperfect seal between the filter and the housing.

Dualstow why don't you try turning off the water supply to the sink in question and unscrew, clean up and replace the hose connections? If it doesn't work maybe there's a problem with the faucet and you might need a new one. Replacing the faucet yourself is probably cheaper than calling the plumber, so might be worth doing first.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Sat Aug 22, 2020 1:18 pm

WiseOne wrote:
Fri Aug 21, 2020 7:59 pm
This is sounding like a plumbing whodunit!!!

Since the water hammer started with your renovation, why not call the plumber you hired for that project? This is complicated - you replaced a pipe in the street??? - and the person who did the work should be in the best position to figure this out.
I think I’ve used up all my calls to the renovator. O0 He’s gone above and beyond. However, the guy who was part of the intake project is the one who will be looking at the problem this coming week.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:50 pm

(highlight is mine)
glennds wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:38 pm
dualstow wrote:
Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:29 pm
You know that noise you sometimes get when you shut off a faucet? A loud rattling.

I followed the steps from google because my dad got old and no longer remembers. :-(

1) Turn off main water valve
2) turn on the highest faucet in your home
3) turn on the lowest faucet. Let it drain, turn it off
4) Open main water valve
5) Let top faucet run and when it's done sputtering, turn it off.

I came upstairs to find green water in the sink with black particles. They didn't tell me about that. Meanwhile, the water hammer persists.
Any ideas?
Hi, the only differences I was taught from your outlined procedure are the following:
1. Keep the lowest faucet open when you re-open the main. Your summary says you closed it before re-opening the main.
2. Flush all the toilets when the main is closed while the faucets are draining
3. When re-opening the main, do so slowly
4. After re-opening the main and the faucets are finished sputtering and building up flow, start closing the lower faucets first and work your way up to the highest

I think this is obvious, but just to confirm, you are only opening the cold side of the faucets, right?

Is the hammering only happening at one particular sink? If so, you could try closing down the shut off valve under that sink a little bit at a time to see if it helps. Sometimes excessive flow through the shut off valve and supply line can cause hammer. If it's happening at multiple locations, this is probably not the problem.

I don't know if anything I've added is helpful, but hopefully so.
Tried it your way this time, Glenn.
(1) None of this is obvious to me O0 but yes, I’ve always run the cold only as that’s the way my Dad taught me years ago.
(2) I can only *hear* it in the top sink, but also the clotheswasher in the basement. The latter is super loud.
If today’s experiment doesn’t work, it’s plumber time. (Not Hammer time).
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
User avatar
Hal
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 1349
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 1:50 am

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by Hal » Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:15 pm

dualstow wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:50 pm

Tried it your way this time, Glenn.
(1) None of this is obvious to me O0 but yes, I’ve always run the cold only as that’s the way my Dad taught me years ago.
(2) I can only *hear* it in the top sink, but also the clotheswasher in the basement. The latter is super loud.
If today’s experiment doesn’t work, it’s plumber time. (Not Hammer time).
Before spending big dollars getting a plumber, try this. Make sure you leave the washing machine taps open after fitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMd7bQ8kkj8
Aussie GoldSmithPP - 25% PMGOLD, 75% VDCO
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 14233
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: synagogue of Satan
Contact:

Re: You guys know how to fix water hammer?

Post by dualstow » Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:17 pm

Thanks, I’ll take a look!
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years
Post Reply