I have read a few threads including one by Debbie Stano that were similar to my issue but that thread stopped a while back without any resolution I could see.
I'm in Brisbane, Australia but I'm after general ideas from anyone here or in UK (I realise this is a UK based site).
Point form history:
-older house (1960s)with mix of 1/2inch copper and Galvanised lines (now replaced) but also with 1/4 inch copper out of the hot water system and also some 1/4inch cold, but mostly 1/2inch. Hot water system is old and does not have a tempering valve fitted (will need to replace the whole unit in the near future).
-House always had some hammer from just a couple of taps - front garden tap and also from the washing machine which is the only thing connected to the 1/4inch cold water - I have to have the tap on just slightly to stop the sudden solenoid valve shut off from the washing machine make a huge racket.
- for a long time I noticed the occasional pipe "clunk" at night when NOTHING was running. wondered if it was from next door? is that possible?
-water pressure to the house is pretty high
I then had the quite old mixer tap in the kitchen have blown seals and leaked a bit around the body but as it was very old I got a plumber in to replace the whole tap plus also replace the flexi hoses leading to it. I also got some emergency shut off valves on both those lines as they were not fitted previously and I though it wise. I also got a new shut off valve to the dishwasher and as the mysterious clunking at night was near there the plumber also put a pressure reduction valve to the dishwasher. The end result of this was that all of a sudden the mixer tap made clunking noises when turning off unless you turned it off really slow, particularly if turning off the hot water. the plumber suggested a pressure reduction valve at the front of the house would help to solve this and I also wanted to replace the galvanised piping which was old and probably constricted with rusted out centres with new 1/2inch copper. He agreed this may also help so that next job was booked in. I also got an extra line of copper to an extra tap in the far corner of the house and all new garden taps going for ball valve type taps.
end result of this next lot of work is the hammer in the cold water on the kitchen mixer is even worse and the hot probably a bit worse also. The pressure reduction valve at the front has not achieved anything. the plumber came back and tried a few things, adding more clamping to lines and also replaced some valves in the hot water system (sorry not sure which ones) and even removed the emergency stop valves under the mixer in the kitchen which seemed to help a bit initially - but after about 12 hours it all got worse again - probably the worst yet. And for some reason the degree of hammer in the cold seemed to vary from time to time whilst the hot was always quite bad.
Next visit from plumber he fitted one of those hammer reduction chamber things to the hot line under the kitchen mixer and this seems to have stopped the noise but you can tell it is working with a noticeable pulse in the flow when turning on but at least less noise. cold water is still a problem and just as the hammer has been variable I noticed some cold water hammer in 2 x other taps in the house I had never had before, but this was while the washing machine was running and not after which is interesting.
I think the plumber is out of ideas and i have wasted money on emergency stop valves now removed that could have stayed where they were and pressure reduction valves that have not done a thing. I wonder if the mix of 1/4inch and 1/2 inch is the problem as this mix of sizes is around the hot water and leading to the washing machine which is nearby to the kitchen (all the noise emenates from this part of the house) - but the kitchen mixer has a direct run of 1/2 inch copper from the front pressure regulated entry off the street and it is the worst offender.
Other than that I wonder is it possible a crappy old hot water system could cause this much havoc with all the lines including cold around this house? Could the hot water system affect the cold water line like this? I've already spent several thousand and am sick of sending good money after bad...
I've read up on causes of this sort of water shock when turning things on and off and feel like we have tried most of it - but I would welcome any suggestions or experiences anyone may have had with this - including Ms Stano if she is still on the forum as your post sounded similar in some ways.
thanks
I'm in Brisbane, Australia but I'm after general ideas from anyone here or in UK (I realise this is a UK based site).
Point form history:
-older house (1960s)with mix of 1/2inch copper and Galvanised lines (now replaced) but also with 1/4 inch copper out of the hot water system and also some 1/4inch cold, but mostly 1/2inch. Hot water system is old and does not have a tempering valve fitted (will need to replace the whole unit in the near future).
-House always had some hammer from just a couple of taps - front garden tap and also from the washing machine which is the only thing connected to the 1/4inch cold water - I have to have the tap on just slightly to stop the sudden solenoid valve shut off from the washing machine make a huge racket.
- for a long time I noticed the occasional pipe "clunk" at night when NOTHING was running. wondered if it was from next door? is that possible?
-water pressure to the house is pretty high
I then had the quite old mixer tap in the kitchen have blown seals and leaked a bit around the body but as it was very old I got a plumber in to replace the whole tap plus also replace the flexi hoses leading to it. I also got some emergency shut off valves on both those lines as they were not fitted previously and I though it wise. I also got a new shut off valve to the dishwasher and as the mysterious clunking at night was near there the plumber also put a pressure reduction valve to the dishwasher. The end result of this was that all of a sudden the mixer tap made clunking noises when turning off unless you turned it off really slow, particularly if turning off the hot water. the plumber suggested a pressure reduction valve at the front of the house would help to solve this and I also wanted to replace the galvanised piping which was old and probably constricted with rusted out centres with new 1/2inch copper. He agreed this may also help so that next job was booked in. I also got an extra line of copper to an extra tap in the far corner of the house and all new garden taps going for ball valve type taps.
end result of this next lot of work is the hammer in the cold water on the kitchen mixer is even worse and the hot probably a bit worse also. The pressure reduction valve at the front has not achieved anything. the plumber came back and tried a few things, adding more clamping to lines and also replaced some valves in the hot water system (sorry not sure which ones) and even removed the emergency stop valves under the mixer in the kitchen which seemed to help a bit initially - but after about 12 hours it all got worse again - probably the worst yet. And for some reason the degree of hammer in the cold seemed to vary from time to time whilst the hot was always quite bad.
Next visit from plumber he fitted one of those hammer reduction chamber things to the hot line under the kitchen mixer and this seems to have stopped the noise but you can tell it is working with a noticeable pulse in the flow when turning on but at least less noise. cold water is still a problem and just as the hammer has been variable I noticed some cold water hammer in 2 x other taps in the house I had never had before, but this was while the washing machine was running and not after which is interesting.
I think the plumber is out of ideas and i have wasted money on emergency stop valves now removed that could have stayed where they were and pressure reduction valves that have not done a thing. I wonder if the mix of 1/4inch and 1/2 inch is the problem as this mix of sizes is around the hot water and leading to the washing machine which is nearby to the kitchen (all the noise emenates from this part of the house) - but the kitchen mixer has a direct run of 1/2 inch copper from the front pressure regulated entry off the street and it is the worst offender.
Other than that I wonder is it possible a crappy old hot water system could cause this much havoc with all the lines including cold around this house? Could the hot water system affect the cold water line like this? I've already spent several thousand and am sick of sending good money after bad...
I've read up on causes of this sort of water shock when turning things on and off and feel like we have tried most of it - but I would welcome any suggestions or experiences anyone may have had with this - including Ms Stano if she is still on the forum as your post sounded similar in some ways.
thanks
