subject: Familiarise Yourself With Water Hammers [print this page] Every year, many people around Australia hear the signs of a water hammer, don't realise what it is and watch as their entire piping system collapses. You can avoid the hefty bills associated with that problem by learning about water hammers.
The Water Hammer Phenomenon -
Basically, a water hammer refers to a loud bang or hammering sound that occurs when a valve becomes closed at the end of a pipeline system. In such instances, a loud bang will alert you that a pressure wave has taken place. Many people hear this bang start to happen and think nothing of it; it may take a while before serious damage takes place, however it is recommended that it should be taken care off straight away as there is no way of telling of when a pipe can implode or explode. Such circumstances can cause extensive damage and generally are associated with extensive repair bills.
Stand Traps Prevent Water Hammer -
A few different ways of preventing water hammer have been devised through the years. Air traps and stand traps are the two primary examples. Stand traps - which are open on the top - work as cushions to soften the impact of a wave of moving water. They give that water somewhere to go so that it, in theory, won't damage or destroy the pipes in a home. Stand traps are meant to prevent exploding pipes caused by high pressure water with nowhere to go - one of the most common causes of water hammer.
Air Traps And Imploding Pipes -
When a valve is closed in the plumbing system, water might keep trying to flow. This creates a vacuum which can then cause a pipe to implode or collapse in on itself. This is just as problematic as an exploding pipe, and air traps are meant to deal with the problem. They're sometimes called air vents or vacuum relief valves, and they work to let air into the line to keep these dangerous vacuums from occurring. In these instances, the telltale water hammer noise will happen which generally provides warning of an impending problem. Building inspectors know what to look for, and homeowners should have their pipes examined periodically to make sure that no majorly catastrophic problems are in the "pipeline," as it were.
