Question: Tim, every time I turn off the faucet in my house, the water pipe will rattle and make a terrible noise. In my opinion, they may break. This problem is common in many houses on my street, because I have asked my neighbors if they have the same problem. what happened? Did the builder or plumber make a mistake when installing the pipe? Is there a risk of pipe bursts and overflows? Is there a simple solution, or even DIY? Help before you need a life jacket! —Pam H. Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Answer: When I was in my 20s, I heard a loud crash caused by water hammer in the first houses I lived in. At the time, I didn’t think much about it, and I hadn’t taken the plumber master exam. I live in an area where the urban water supply pressure is close to 80 pounds per square inch (PSI). High water pressure is great for showers and garden hoses, but the noise is troublesome, especially when the valves of electronic washing machines and dishwashers are closed.
If you clear high school physics textbooks, you will find out why water hammer occurs. First, water is liquid, and most liquids are incompressible. The water is also heavy. Stop for a moment and think about the speed at which the water rushes out of the garden hose. In most cases, this is the speed at which water flows in your water pipeline.
Imagine if the water in the pipeline is just a small section of a freight train buzzing. Suddenly, in front of the locomotive, a valve closed. The train hit the valve, and energy sent huge pulse waves through the pipe. The peak pressure in the system may exceed 180 PSI. You bet that over time, this may cause problems. Countless shock waves can definitely lead to catastrophic leaks.
Plumbers who install pipes can prevent water hammer by installing larger diameter pipes in the system. Essentially, larger pipes will slow down the speed of water flowing through the pipe. All he had to do was extend the ¾-inch water pipeline to each fixture group and key fixtures, such as washing machines and dishwashers. These machines have electronic valves that shut off when water is not needed.
The PEX pipeline supply line may also help. These flexible, innovative piped water supply lines are installed very similar to cables. They can be shaken and moved around to absorb shock waves, which are like bombs exploding in a water supply line. As you know, copper is hard and can bump and tremble.
The good news is that you can stop water hammer in your home in many ways. If you have medium piping skills, then it is definitely a DIY opportunity to get rid of welding torches and other tools.
I will start installing two things: a spring-driven pressure reducing valve and one or two common expansion tanks. Both of these moderately priced accessories can tame wild horses galloping in the waterline.
The pressure reducing valve can be adjusted by turning the screw. Be sure to pay attention to the direction of water flow on the valve body. In most cases, it is installed after the main shut-off valve in your home. When draining water, please install an auxiliary main shut-off ball valve, just in case your gate valve is old. Ball valves can achieve full flow and are usually trouble-free for decades.
After installing the new ball valve, consider installing a three-way joint so that it can be placed in the boiler drain pipe so that all the water in the pipe can be drained easily. Many plumbers cannot install this simple accessory. I will also install a second tee joint in the main water supply line. This will allow you to install a water pressure gauge. Trust me, you will never regret having one of them.
After installing all the components, consider installing a three-gallon expansion tank. These are great equipment, there is a rubber bladder in the water tank. The air bag isolates the water in the system from the air bubbles in the water tank. Make sure to install the water tank so that the threaded entrance points to the ground. This keeps the bubbles above the water instead of below it.
Air bubbles act like shock absorbers in cars or trucks, because air is compressible. These expansion tanks also play a dual role, protecting your storage water heater, because hot water also needs a place to expand.
I know this may seem like a difficult job, but it is not. If you know what you are doing, you can complete all of these tasks in an hour or less. Just follow plumbing regulations and best practices, and your home will soon be as quiet as a lamb.
Post time: Dec-31-2020
