Plumbing Problems: Pounding Pipes
Things that go bump in the night may be a great idea for a Stephen King novel, but it's the last thing you want to hear when you turn on a faucet.
The hammering or pounding noise you hear in your pipes is caused by vibration that occurs when a column of moving water in a pipe is suddenly stopped by a valve known as a water hammer. Water traveling in pipes has kinetic energy (energy of motion) and when the valve closes suddenly it creates a shock wave that reverberates through your pipes. Not only is the noise annoying, it can cause plumbing problems such as damage to your plumbing system.
Water hammer arrestors consisting of a small bladder within a cylinder and plumbed near the offending valve are available to combat the problem. They cushion the moving column of water and reduce or eliminate the noise. Give us a call and our plumbing contractors will be happy to stop by and handle the plumbing installation. ©PSI03
