water hammer?

candypop

Can anyone advise/help please. I hear a loud banging noise which i think comes from my bathroom, stop !!!! is in the bathroom(bungalow) when the washer fills with water or when I turn off the cold water tap quickly in either the kitchen or bathroom. This has been happening for a while and I was wondering what I need to do to get this sorted as recently I can hear the same noise but quieter during the day and night (when no taps are turned or when washer is being used). Also I should be getting a new bathroom fitted soon what can you advise what I should ask the plumber to do.

DVardysShadow

Water hammer is usually caused by air in the pipes. So if you have an old tap which is not being used or something like that, letting the air out should fix it.

Failing that, ask your plumber to fix the water hammer. Don't be more specific and start micromananging ...

keystone

candypop wrote: »

..... when the washer fills with water or when I turn off the cold water tap quickly in either the kitchen or bathroom.

Classic water hammer. Shutting the valve off too quickly sets up a pressure wave which bounces back and forth in the pipework. The fix is one or a combination of:

1. Fit a shock arrester
2. Change the offending valves
3. Securely fix the pipes that are loose and therefore banging.

Also I should be getting a new bathroom fitted soon what can you advise what I should ask the plumber to do.

Exactly what DV has advised. Demonstrate the problem and ask him to fix it which he will do anyway if the problem manifests in the bathroom and he's doing that anyway.

Cheers

candypop

Thanks very much for your replies. I'll mention it to the plumber and get him to look at it for me

Avoriaz

candypop wrote: »

Thanks very much for your replies. I'll mention it to the plumber and get him to look at it for me

Do you have an indirect cold water system with a tank in the loft space?

Keystone above is almost certainly correct but there is also the possibility that the water hammer is coming from the valve in the loft tank. When the valve closes it can set off a ripple on the tank water surface which opens and closes the valve rapidly causing the hammer noise.

Fortunately that is easy to diagnose and cure.

candypop

Thanks but I dont have a water tank in the loft anymore it was removed when I had the combi boiler installed. The noise is definatley coming from the bathroom I think from behind the bath. It is really getting noiser especially when using the washing machine.

candypop

Just noticed that if the toilet has been flushed and when the cistern is filling up with water then there is no banging noise when opening and closing the taps at the same time.

ormus

its possible its your wc cistern valve then. changing that may solve the problem.
or fit a shock arrestor, as been said. cheap and easy to fit.