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Water hammer describes loud banging coming from your pipes, which occurs when there’s an imbalance of pressure in your plumbing. This can cause problems with water flow and may cause you to end up needing pipe repairs and other plumbing work. Below are some of the most common questions about this problem.

Common Questions Regarding Water Hammer

How does it happen?

Water hammers occur when an appliance or faucet is suddenly shut off, causing a sudden buildup in pressure, which forces the water to bang against the sides of the pipes, causing the characteristic “hammering” sound. This can be caused both by troublesome faucets or appliances, or it can become a routine problem if your system’s pressure is too high in general.

How does it affect pipes?

pipe repairsAt first glance, water hammer doesn’t seem to have any lasting effect. While that’s true for a one-time occurrence, repeated water hammers over time can damage and erode pipes by banging them into surrounding parts of a building’s structure, such as wooden beams. The constant impact can gradually weaken the walls of pipes, knock them loose, or even cause them to burst all together.

How can I prevent it?

While water hammer is typically unpredictable, taking note of the age, type, and condition of your plumbing can be a good way to reduce the chance of it happening. Many newer types of pipes have a built-in air chamber, which allows hammering to be resolved quickly and automatically, but older plumbing in need of pipe repair tends to be more prone to this problem.

This is because pressure can become unevenly distributed as it ages without frequent maintenance. With a water pressure gauge and knowledge of your plumbing type, you should be able to take care when using tricky taps and appliances to prevent water hammers.

What can be done to fix water hammer?

When dealing with water hammers, you need a way to allow water to absorb the shock of pressure changes without damaging your plumbing. One way to do this is to tighten loose pipes. You can also install an air chamber, a short length of pipe fixed to the main pipe just before it connects with the faucet. This gives water a space to redirect itself when subjected to high pressure.

A plumber can usually fabricate one of these on site, concealing it to keep it out of the way. This could also be an instance when the water entering your system is too pressurized to begin with, in which case installing a water pressure regulator can help. It will adjust the pressure automatically to a level your pipes can handle comfortably.

 

If you’re experiencing trouble with water hammer and need pipe repairs in Cookeville, Algood, or Baxter, TN, get help from Putnam Plumbing. These friendly professionals are highly experienced and capable of solving a wide range of plumbing issues for homes and businesses. To get more information on their services, call them at (931) 520-3569 or visit them online.

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