How Do You Stop Water Hammering In Pipes?
If water pipes bang loudly when a faucet is shut off, it may be due to a condition known as water hammering. Besides the annoying noise, water hammering can damage the plumbing system and the valves on appliances. You can stop this problem by locating the source of the noise and following these steps to correct the situation. Find the location of the noise by having someone turn the faucet on and off while you follow the sound to its source. Determine whether the noise is produced by loose pipes in the basement or the crawl space under the house. This is a common problem. The solution is to strap down loose pipes with plumber’s tape (a galvanized metal strap), cushion them with rubber blankets, or both. Drain the water system’s air chambers if you don’t find loose pipes or if measures taken in Step 2 do not solve the problem. Air chambers are short lengths of pipe, capped at one end and installed vertically in the walls behind fixtures and appliances, designed to use air to cushion the
