Water is such an important resource that plays a big role in our everyday lives. It helps us bathe ourselves, prepare our meals, and act a form of nourishment for our bodies. Without the presence of a clean and reliable source of water, our daily routine will surely be endangered. That’s why you need to familiarize yourselves with various plumbing problems so you can act on them right away. One of the many plumbing-related concerns you should know is a water hammer.
What is a water hammer exactly?
Although the term sounds ominous or complicated, it’s actually a very common occurrence in plumbing systems. A water hammer happens when the direction of water inside the plumbing pipes suddenly change direction. This causes a change in momentum and creates additional pressure on plumbing pipes. If too much pressure is created, it can come to a point where your plumbing pipes will be severely damaged.
How to resolve this plumbing predicament?
Although the damage caused by a water hammer can be serious, the solution at hand is pretty simple. All you need to do to prevent a water hammer from occurring is to install an air chamber in your plumbing system. Basically, air chambers function by preventing the water inside your plumbing pipes from creating waves. Without the presence of these waves, additional water pressure won’t be produced and your pipes’ integrity will stay intact.
To install an air chamber, you need to locate a cavity inside your walls that are in close proximity to the water valves. Once you have found these wall cavities, you can then place the air chamber to help prevent water hammers from happening. These air chambers are pieces of vertical pipes and can be easily added to your existing plumbing system.
After the installation of an air chamber, the work isn’t done yet. You need to determine if this addition is compatible with your plumbing system. As such you will need to follow certain steps to make sure the installed air chamber works properly.
- First and foremost, you need to shut off the aforementioned water valve. After you have accomplished that step, you will need to open your property’s faucet that’s located at the highest point. Meanwhile, you will need to drain water from all the pipelines in your residential property or commercial establishment. You can do this feat by opening the faucet that’s located at the lowest point in your property. Usually, this faucet can be found in the basement or in your backyard. This act will induce more air into your pipes and air chambers to replace the water that was drained.
- After this process has been completed, you can now shut off the faucet at the lowest point and switch the main valve back on. Once the adequate amount of air has filled an air chamber, this plumbing fixture will eliminate any chance of water hammers from happening. Just make sure the air chamber you installed is bigger than your water supply line so it won’t cause any clogging problems.
- In the event a clog has hindered the operation of an air chamber, all you need to do is remove its cap and clean any dirt inside it. Nevertheless, you won’t fear water hammers when there is an air chamber present in your plumbing system. The solution itself to this worrisome plumbing problem is very easy to do.
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