Water Hammer dilemma - particularly regarding costs

PostHoc25

downstairs is new owner who made the original complaint. Although I heard the pipes rattle from the washing machine filling and stopping in my flat, I never knew how loud it was downstairs.

Yes landlady fixed shower. It had issues with temperature control twice and had a new cartridge. Then one time it just wouldn't turn off so I had to stop water under the sink with stopcock. Last time plumber came to tweak temperature control it's been better but very stiff and doesn't seem to go fully cold which wasn't too much of an issue but now weather is heating up, cooler showers would be nice. Before all the noise complaints, I was going to ask her to get plumber out AGAIN. I've lived in 25 properties, been here 8. Never had a shower with so many issues. Am wondering if it's not a good choice for the plumbing I have. Will ask LL tonight what it was like with tenant before me, or historic issues.

But in the past hour, owner downstairs and I did some more tests, (so we can better advise LL this eve).

If I turn my shower to off, very, very slowly, no banging pipes.

Kitchen taps both hot and cold still very loud in her flat. More so when doing a sudden shut off, but even running the taps she says is loud. In comparison, when I ran the shower and washing machine, the noise of them running wasn't an issue.

Does that offer any further insights?

It's an old Victorian brick building converted in the 70s I believe, so floors are solid and generally there is little noise between flats. We do get cooking smells transferring through bathroom extractor fans (myself and other neighbours have this issue) but whilst I occasionally hear my overhead neighbours boiler whoosh, and next to me flush, if I am also in my bathroom, generally the plumbing noises are minimal.

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987647#Comment_81987647

Yes, high pressure can 'roar' in the pipes, especially as it passes through taps and part-open valves.

The 'hammer' is due to the sudden change in water pressure in the pipes as you open and close valves. The pipework 'relaxes' with the drop in pressure when a tap is opened, and becomes suddenly more 'rigid' with the increased pressure when shut off. This gives the 'idea' 😁;

All your issues fit in with what would be an excessively high pressure, but it isn't conclusive. But then, if your 'plumber' did not even take a pressure reading whilst he was there…

Bottom line is - you are not going to be turning showers and taps off super-slowly. That's bonkers. So your LL needs to get a PLUMBER to sort this, which almost certainly will be very straightforward. If she doesn't, then she not only risks action from the flat below, but damage to her own plumbing.

You can't get a recommendation from someone at work, or a neighbour, or anyone in the locale?

PostHoc25

So, LL has now visited. No worries she is on the case, and especially now her and her hubby both witnessed the sound.

And yes, slow turning off of taps is not a fix, just a way for me to hopefully reduce the painful roaring and banging my poor neighbour has been tolerating since last summer. I don't work due to health issues but she does, and doing my dishes at 10/11pm when she was in bed was not helpful, so I can do my dishes in the morning instead and try to turn taps slowly - I told her though it's a battle against auto-pilot!

She explained she only mentioned it this March as her purchase and move in was horrifically stressful, she'd started a new job, then we had mains water outtages for a couple of weeks around Xmas (joy!). She didn't want to start off living in her new home by making complaints to neighbours, which I get. But it would have been helpful to know a year ago, lol.

Plumber is due to return next week hopefully and I stressed the water pressure MUST be tested and just sent an email saying it again and mentioning some of your suggestions and other research I had done.

Interesting that the flow being reduced from the mains stopped the awful water hammer I heard in my own bathroom pipes from the washing machine, (thank god) but did little to fix the shower water hammer and main kitchen taps roaring but as you explained flow is not pressure, so hopefully pressure IS the issue and can be fixed.

Will update you in next week or two when plumber comes out again. Unfortunately, I have little say in the choice of plumber, I just explained that he hadn't seemed that interested and perhaps should have done a pressure reading on his last visit.

Thanks again for discussing this, much appreciated!

WIAWSNB

A reminder - the first thing the plumber must do is open the stopcock fully.

Then take pressure and flow readings.

Good luck 🤞

(After he has gone, hopefully having arrived at a solution, go to the stopcock and check it's fully open - and then close it one half turn. This won't 'close' it at all, but will make it less likely to seize, so it should be easy to use when next required.)

ic

Perhaps repairs to supply pipes in your area have resulted in increased flow and pressure?

Pressure reducing valves are cheap and easy to install. https://www.screwfix.com/p/honeywell-home-braukmann-d04fm-pressure-reducing-valve-1-5-6bar-22mm-x-22mm/4671j

Also an easy DIY change is to install a water hammer arrestor at appliances (washing machine and dishwasher) - they just screw in between the appliance tap and the flexible pipe to the machine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hammer-Arrestor-Suitable-Washing-Machines/dp/B09D9XQ736

PostHoc25

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988535#Comment_81988535

Funnily enough, we thought this may be the case after repairs and a severe water outage in December, but last night the owner below confirmed she had experienced the noise since moving in during the summer. It might have made things worse perhaps, but the issue was seemingly there all along.

Fingers crossed a prv solves things :-)

GDB2222

If it's just the washing machine, get a Water Hammer Arrestor. It just screws onto the inlet pipe at the back of the machine. No plumber needed. This is an example:

Water Hammer Arrestor 3/4"NH Thread for Washing Machine Kitchen Laundry Pipe | eBay UK

Or get a mini expansion vessel to protect the whole flat. That will need a plumber to install it.

PostHoc25

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988798#Comment_81988798

It seems reducing the flow at the mains has massively reduced the issue with the washing machine. Main concerns now are the shower and all the taps. In particular, the kitchen taps roar like crazy which apparently is most likely a pressure thing. Hoping any changes made don't make the washing machine get noisy again :-)