On Oct 20, 5:39*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Oct 18, 10:35*pm, Mark wrote:





On Oct 18, 7:20*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:

On Oct 18, 6:21*pm, Ashton Crusher wrote:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:15:03 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03

wrote:
On Oct 14, 3:00*pm, henrypenta wrote:
On Oct 13, 8:13*am, DerbyDad03 wrote:

I know about water hammer - the loud noise associated with a rapidly
closing valve causing the water to slam inside pipes causing them to
bang. I also know most of the solutions - arrestors, expansion tanks,
securing pipes, draining the pipes, etc.

The water hammer I'm experiencing is different.

* - Instead of a single loud bang, I get a rapid fire dull
thump-thump-thump almost like the rat-a-tat-tat-tat of a machine gun.
* - They happen when just about any faucet, toilet, shower, appliance,
etc. is turned ON or OFF.
* - When a device is turned ON, I'll get 4 or 5 rapid thumps lasting a
second or two.
* - When a device is turned OFF (even slowly turning off a faucet) I'll
get anywhere from 20 to 50 rapid thumps lasting 3 - 7 seconds.
* - It happens with both hot and cold water, single valve devices or
dual faucet fixtures.
* - It happens 85% - 90% percent of the time.
* - I have drained the system and refilled it. I thought it helped,
because it didn't happen for a few hours, then it started again. It may
have just been the 15% - 20% of the times when it doesn't happen.

Anybody heard of this type of water hammer?

I just seen a water noise priblem on this old house, and the noise was
caused by the water pipes in the celler that was secured by metal
hangers to the 2by's, causeing the noice when the water came through
the pipes because the pipes expand rubbing against the rafters causing
the noise. I thought it might be a faucet washer which would cause
that ratte tat noise, but u said it happ-ens with everything. Is it
cold water only that makes a noise or hot or both?? henry P.S. If the
water pipes are mounted on the rafters u have to get the pipes away
from them, and the hardware selles a pipe connecter that fits over the
pipe and the bracket has 2 holes to nail to the rafter, thus keeping
the water pipes away from the rafters, good luck, henry- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It happens with both hot and cold water and with just about every
fixture in the house, as far as I can tell.

It's not expansion - I know the noise you speak off and this is not
that.

P.S. Rafters hold up roofs and are not typically found in cellars.

Maybe it's caused by the pressure reducing valve itself. *What seems
strange to me is that you continue to hear water flowing after you
turn off a water valve. *Almost like that pressure reducing valve is
not letting enough water in to even keep all the pipes pressurized.
are you getting good flow?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Excellent pressure at all fixtures.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

check the washing machine
check the dishawasher
ice maker?
humidifier?
check all faucets where there may be connection from the hot to the
cold..

do you have an expansion tank or a pipe filled with air someplace in
the system? * sounds like you get a nice oscillation set up, that
might happen if there was air trapped someplace in the system..
although air traps are sometimes installed for the very purpose of
prevenintg water hammer,,,but I could see the air being compressed and
acting like a spring setting up an oscillation

please do come back and tell us after you figure *it out.

Mark- Hide quoted text -

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Just an update...

I was home alone this weekend and tried this:

- Saturday night, I closed the main shutoff.
- I opened every faucet, outside hose bibs, flushed the toilets and
turned on the washer.
- I let the system drain for at least 30 minutes.
- I closed all faucets and bibs, including the toilet shutoffs, turned
off the washer.
- I turned on the main shutoff.
- I went to the farthest fixture and turned it on, waiting for the
hissing and spitting to stop.
- I did the same for all fixtures and bibs, working my way back to the
main shutoff.
- I opened the toilet shutoffs.
- I tested a few fixtures - No noise from pipes.
- I spent all day Sunday using various fixtures, took a shower, did
some dishes, washed a car, did some laundry - No noise from pipes.
- Family came home Sunday night. They did some laundry, took some
showers, did some dishes - Bang Bang Bang Bang - Noise was back.

Conclusion:

It's not my plumbing...it's my d*mn family! I guess I'll have to send
them away permanently.- Hide quoted text -

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I believe I have solved the porblem.

I bought a $13 gauge and checked the pressure before and after my
pressure regulator. It was pushing 85 PSI in both locations, telling
me that my regulator wasn't doing squat.

I replaced the pressure regulator and now read 50 PSI inside the
house. It's been over 24 hours with no banging. Previous excursions
into draining the plumbing would eliminate the banging for just a few
hours, so I am hoping that this time it's gone for good.

The biggest pain now is due to the fact that I had to cut into the
drywall ceiling in my basement bathroom to expose the regulator. Now I
have a big hole to patch - flat taping in a small space - the worst
kind to try and hide!

And yes, I considered moving the regulator to a more accessible spot,
but that would involved some serious modifications to the existing
plumbing for something I hope not to replace for another 30 years, if
ever.