How To Stop Water Hammer

If you’ve been hearing a loud banging in your pipes, you may be wondering why. Well, the culprit could very well be water hammer. At Five Star Plumbing, the #1 plumbers in Harford County, MD, we often see pipes that are suffering from water hammer. Here is how to stop water hammer and quiet your pipes.

How To Stop Water Hammer

Water hammer is not a generic name for any pipe noise. Water hammer is a very specific plumbing noise. Water hammer occurs when you quickly shut off your water and the water flow is brought to an abrupt halt, creating a loud hammering sound. When your plumbing has been properly installed, it will have air chambers that compress when the stoppage occurs, softening the blow and preventing the noise from happening. 

If you have been only recently experiencing this noise, then your plumbing’s air chambers have most likely been waterlogged. You can fix this by turning off the water behind the waterlogged chamber. Next, you will need to open the faucet and allow all of the water to drain from the chamber. This will allow air to fill the chamber again and restore the cushion. If the air chamber is below the outlet, you might need to drain your main supply lines. 

If your air chamber is clogged with residue from chemicals in the water, you will not be able to drain the chamber properly. You will need to clean out all residue before you can properly drain the chamber. If your plumbing system does not have built-in air chambers, then you must act fast. 

Water hammer can eventually cause significant damage such as pipe bursting. Since water hammer is typically caused by water pressure that is too high, you will need to lower your water pressure. You can reduce your water pressure by installing a pressure regulator valve in your home’s supply line. 

However, you must make sure that this solution is feasible with your plumbing. Reducing water pressure can sometimes cause dribbling to take place, which can be a big issue on its own. 

About Five Star Plumbing

If you need your plumbing repaired, Five Star Plumbing will take care of it! As local plumbers, our service area includes Baltimore County and Harford County, including but not limited to Bel Air, Abingdon, Fallston, Towson, Baltimore, Parkville, Lutherville, and Timonium. We offer 2 hour appointment windows so you don’t have to wait all day – no matter where in the area that you are located. We offer many different services, including well pump services, water treatment, plumbing repair and installation, outdoor plumbing services, drain cleaning, and water heater services.