Hi guys,
I started having this problem about 8 months ago. The problem is intermittent so it is hard to replicate the issue. Anyway, before I describe my problem, let me just give some background info on my house plumbing updates. We did some renovation 5 years ago where all the 3 bathrooms where updated. The shower controls/valve and toilets were all replaced. About 2 years ago, I had a problem when a rodent was able to get inside my wall and chewed the water line that goes to the refrigerator. Did some damaged to my first floor ceiling but I got the SOB. Anyway, the water line was fixed and everything is back to normal.
Here is my problem: sometime last year, I noticed that the water coming out of my faucet ( kitchen and bathroom upstairs/downstairs) is pulsating. I just thought it was unusual but maybe it was just water pressure in the neighborhood causing it. It lasted maybe a few hours and then it was gone. I guess a few months after that, I heard a banging sound ( like pipes hammering ) coming from inside the wall near the second floor guest bathroom. It sounded like it was getting louder and louder. I opened the faucet on the bathroom and noticed that the water again is pulsating. I cant remember if I flushed the toilet or what else I did but it did stop after a few minutes. Several more occurences happened since, where I can see the water pulsating first from the faucet or shower head and then the banging sound will start getting louder. I kind of figured out that when I flush the toilet on the second floor guest bathroom, it seems to fix the problem. BTW, i tried to flush the master bathroom toilet (when the hammering sound is happening) which is also on the second floor but this did not fix the problem.
All i know at this time is the hammering sound is coming from the second floor guest bathroom. It seems that flushing the toilet fixes the problem. It doesnt happen all the time but maybe because nobody uses the guest bathroom often. I think the problem happens when I have a guest using this bathroom since the last 2 incidents happened when I had a visitor.
Is this a water hammer problem? Anything I could do to prevent it from happening? Thanks.
I started having this problem about 8 months ago. The problem is intermittent so it is hard to replicate the issue. Anyway, before I describe my problem, let me just give some background info on my house plumbing updates. We did some renovation 5 years ago where all the 3 bathrooms where updated. The shower controls/valve and toilets were all replaced. About 2 years ago, I had a problem when a rodent was able to get inside my wall and chewed the water line that goes to the refrigerator. Did some damaged to my first floor ceiling but I got the SOB. Anyway, the water line was fixed and everything is back to normal.
Here is my problem: sometime last year, I noticed that the water coming out of my faucet ( kitchen and bathroom upstairs/downstairs) is pulsating. I just thought it was unusual but maybe it was just water pressure in the neighborhood causing it. It lasted maybe a few hours and then it was gone. I guess a few months after that, I heard a banging sound ( like pipes hammering ) coming from inside the wall near the second floor guest bathroom. It sounded like it was getting louder and louder. I opened the faucet on the bathroom and noticed that the water again is pulsating. I cant remember if I flushed the toilet or what else I did but it did stop after a few minutes. Several more occurences happened since, where I can see the water pulsating first from the faucet or shower head and then the banging sound will start getting louder. I kind of figured out that when I flush the toilet on the second floor guest bathroom, it seems to fix the problem. BTW, i tried to flush the master bathroom toilet (when the hammering sound is happening) which is also on the second floor but this did not fix the problem.
All i know at this time is the hammering sound is coming from the second floor guest bathroom. It seems that flushing the toilet fixes the problem. It doesnt happen all the time but maybe because nobody uses the guest bathroom often. I think the problem happens when I have a guest using this bathroom since the last 2 incidents happened when I had a visitor.
Is this a water hammer problem? Anything I could do to prevent it from happening? Thanks.