Water Hammer Arrestor

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Nov 27, 2011
Messages
430
Location
pennsylvania
I installed a water hammer arrestor on the washing machine due to excessive noise and it has not worked. Would the next step be putting on a pressure regulator?
Thanks in advance
 
Did you try putting a 1ft air-spring riser on the offending valve? Ive never seen or purchased a "ready made" water hammer arrestor - just made my own, as its just a piece of pipe.
What is your high-end water pressure? I keep mine under 55psig as I have an old drilled well pump. Street water?
 
Last edited:
pictures of the install?, model installed, information on your water psi and type of system?(city/well etc)
 
What type of washing machine just out of curiosity. I know our LG front loader cycles the water on/off/on/off at various times in the cycle and those darn solenoid valves pop open/shut instantly causing a surge no matter what I've done.

Had this particular washer in two homes now. Same in both homes. Psssss.... BANG!! Pssssss.....BANG!
 
Moving water has mass. When a valve shuts off abruptly, the moving column of water has to dissipate its kinetic energy somewhere, in this case, transferring it to the piping. Vertical standpipes filled with air act as shock absorbers to absorb some of this energy. The bigger they are the better they work. The more the better too as they can have a collective effect if they are on the same line.
 
@ GGorman:

I think you have installed the water hammer arrester wrong way around.

Take a look at this pic (from Amazon, allows you to magnify:

http://www.amazon.com/Oatey-38600-Washing-Machine-Absorber/dp/B000BO6G8K


In short: your connection to the washing machine's end should be connecting to the water-source, whereas the steel braided line part of your picture should be the outlet (connects to the washing machine).

Try it.

Q.
 
The two main causes of water hammer are excessive pressure and improper strapping of the pipe. If you've noticed no difference since you installed these hammer arrestors, you should check your water pressure next. You can get a pressure gauge at home improvement stores that will screw on to a hose bibb. Anything over 80 psig is considered excessive. As suggested already in this thread, water pressure of 50-60 psig is much more reasonable.
 
I am no plumber, but have done lots of plumbing work as an amateur. Have you thought about closing the supply valves partially to see if reducing pressure to the washer helps? The pressure to the washer ought to be quite adjustable and I don't think there is any law stating that the supply valves have to be fully open.
 
what you are doing is fine. i had the same thing once. did the air accumulator but didnt help. found out the valve in the dish washer was bad.
 
Originally Posted By: GGorman04
Q
I will try this when I get home. I thought I installed it correctly but will take a look.
Thanks


I think he means the hammer arrestor should be installed on the stop (before the hose) and not on the washing machine (after the hose) according to the picture.
I'm not sure it would make a difference but it's worth a try.
 
Those are pretty "stubby". When we hooked up to city water I put Sioux Chief arresters on the supply lines to the washer and dish washer - stopped all hints of water hammer. The Sioux Chief ones are probably about 4 inches long.
 
When I went to home depot they were the only ones for sale. Not sure if it will make a difference, but I will try and install them the correct way and see if that works.
 
I have an LG front load washer that hammers with every solenoid shut off on hot or cold supply. Didn't know that these small hammer arresters were even available...so, thanks for bringing me up to speed.

Bought these from Amazon. $9.99 each. Free (prime) shipping.

http://www.siouxchief.com/products/suppl...ate=P3Brochures

Put them on this morning, all trace of hammer is gone. Highly recommend them!

And thanks for bringing this possibility to my attention!
 
I should throw a set of those on my LG front-loader. Our dishwasher hammers the piping pretty good too.
 
For those who say it was installed incorrectly, I took the arrestor off today to see if it would work this way. As you can see in the attached pic, the threads only work on one side and not both. They are different size threads. Should I try another arrestor on just consider this washing machine as noisy?
 
Try the Sioux Chief brand - it's a $20 experiment...and their larger chamber might provide enough increase in shock absorption to make a difference...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top