Banging noises in your pipes are more than an annoyance — they’re bad for the pipes and they may end up causing a leak. “Water hammer” triggers the sounds, and it happens because water flow begins and stops unexpectedly as the washing machine runs through its cycle and the water valves open and close. There are two possible remedies. You can either turn down the water pressure or, if this isn’t practical, put in water hammer arrestors.

Water Hammer

Water is an incompressible fluid which churns and swirls inside the water pipes. When it suddenly needs to stop or change management, like when a valve opens or closes, it sends shock waves through the walls of their pipes. When these shock waves result in clanking and banging sounds in the pipes, they are known as water hammer. If the water pressure is high enough, the beams from water hammer can tighten or tighten fittings, particularly threaded ones. Water hammer is particularly troublesome in pipes which supply a washing machine since the inlet opens and closes often when the washer is in use.

Fixing Water Pressure

Lowering the pressure in the pipes is an easy means to reduce or eliminate water hammer. If one or both of the pipes supplying the washing machine includes a shutoff valve, you may be able to curtail the banging by partially closing it. The water flow will cause the washer to fill more gradually, nevertheless, and increase the time for a clean cycle. You may also be able to adjust the pressure of the water coming to your home by partially closing the main water valve. Since it minimizes pressure at every fixture, this isn’t always a realistic choice.

Water Hammer Arrestors

A more effective method of removing water hammer would be to put in a water hammer arrestor at each of the supply pipes for the washing machine. This simple fitting includes a chamber separated by a membrane or piston. Water fills the chamber on one side of the membrane, and atmosphere fills another; if a shock wave passes through the water, the piston or membrane compresses the air and absorbs the power. The best location to put in water hammer arrestors is at the pipes behind the washer, near the shutoff valves.

Installing Arrestors

Installation involves cutting the Plumbing Services El Paso repair specialists and soldering on a brand new matching, and it demands knowledge of proper soldering methods. After turning the water off, unhooking the washing machine hoses and opening the valves to allow water drain, you cut each pipe and solder in the arrestor in the same manner you would put in a coupling. The chamber, which can be 4 to 6 inches long, should stretch from the wall. After installing the arrestors, then make certain the pipes are securely clamped to the studs, or they may continue to vibrate and clatter when water is fluid.