To have us reassure you that those thumping noises you hear in the walls don’t mean you live in a haunted house, they just mean you have water hammer, might not actually feel assuring. Water hammer sounds sinister. Possibly dangerous. What is it?
First, it’s not dangerous—at least, not to you or your family. It can be a problem for the plumbing, however, and if it happens frequently, it’s an issue you’ll need a professional plumber in Potomac, MD to fix.
How water hammer happens
The thump noise you hear that either surprises or annoys you is the abrupt stop of water flow in the pipes and an equally abrupt change of direction. This can occur when a tap somewhere, such as a faucet or in a water-using appliance, cuts off the water flow. If the pipes don’t have air chambers to cushion the water when the demand cuts off, the water force will create that distinct sound.
If you only hear water hammer now and then, you probably don’t have a serious issue. Water pressure can sometimes spike in residential plumbing because of an issue with the municipal water supply. If water hammer is a routine occurrence, however, it poses a threat to the pipes. High pressure inside pipes can cause damage to them, even resulting in burst pipes.
Call a professional plumber to fix the problem
There are different ways to approach habitual water hammer, and it requires a skilled and licensed plumber to find out which one is right for your situation. Air chambers may leak and lose their air, so a plumber must seal and restore them. The plumbing could require a water pressure regulator; this is a common fix to any issue plumbing has with high pressure. Another option is to use mechanical water arrestors.
You can trust our plumber to fix whatever plumbing problem you have!
Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.