What is Water Hammer

Wikipedia describes Water Hammer as:

Water hammer (or, more generally, fluid hammer) is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid (usually a liquid but sometimes also a gas) in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly (momentum change). A water hammer commonly occurs when a valve closes suddenly at an end of a pipeline system, and a pressure wave propagates in the pipe. It is also called hydraulic shock.

This pressure wave can cause major problems, from noise and vibration to pipe collapse. It is possible to reduce the effects of the water hammer pulses with accumulators, expansion tanks, surge tanks, and other features.

That is a pretty the long way of saying that, Water hammer is the loud banging noise you hear in your pipes after turning off a tap.

It’s not a good problem to have, and it should be fixed immediately. Having your pipes vibrate and bang constantly can cause the pipes to crack and cause major damage to your home. Also, keep in mind that the damage will more than likely start in an internal wall, and you may not find out about it for a while.

How to Fix Water Hammer

If you have Water Hammer in your home, and are concerned about what to do, and don’t want to try a DIY solution, get on the phone now and call your local plumber. They have dealt with this kind of problem many times and can walk you though a few different solutions.

DIY Water Hammer Solutions

If you’re handy with a spanner, an alternative is to try a installing your own Water Hammer solution.

Just by going to the plumbing section in your local hardware store you will find a number of simple solutions that could fix your problem quickly and save some money.

Please remember to turn off your main water supply before starting!

Here’s a couple of DIY water hammer solutions that You can find at the hardware store: