Water Hammer?? Need advice

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Isthisit

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Hello All,

We have a loud bang in one wall. It is the wall that separates the bedroom and bathroom (second floor). It’s just one loud thud.

I don’t hear it anywhere else. It’s very noticeable in the middle of the night but does occur during the day.My first thought is water hammer but it occurs when we are sleeping so no water has been running. The only thing I can think is the fridge ice maker.

How can I determine if it is water hammer and where it’s occuring?

There is an arrestor on the dishwasher but no where else within the house. I’m going to install them on the washer/dryer and ice maker. Should I be installing them on the toilets and/or other locations.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
 

Sylvan

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Any quick closing valves should have a shock absorber . Solenoid .ball cocks etc
 

Terry

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It's the ice maker refilling the ice cube trays. They can bang the pipes pretty well. I always install ice maker boxes with the arrestors for that reason.

Hammer arrestors go on
Washer
Dishwasher
Ice Make
And any valve that is quick closing,

icemaker-box-install-3.jpg


mini_resters.jpg


The arrestor on the left is for washer hoses, the one on the right can fit in-line for dishwashers and ice makers.
Typically 3/8" for dishwasher and 1/4" for ice maker.
 

Mr tee

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If the toilet flapper is leaking the fill valve will come on for a bit then shut off. That could also be a possible source of the problem.
 

Isthisit

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It's the ice maker refilling the ice cube trays. They can bang the pipes pretty well. I always install ice maker boxes with the arrestors for that reason.

Hammer arrestors go on
Washer
Dishwasher
Ice Make
And any valve that is quick closing,

icemaker-box-install-3.jpg


mini_resters.jpg


The arrestor on the left is for washer hoses, the one on the right can fit in-line for dishwashers and ice makers.
Typically 3/8" for dishwasher and 1/4" for ice maker.

Hi Terry,

Thinks makes a lot of sense. The ice maker is directly below our bedroom. I pulled fridge out and it doesn’t have an arrestor. I turned the ice maker off.

I’m heading out to buy an arrestor for the ice maker, and all my toilets. I just installed them on my washing machine.

Thanks!!!

Do you recommend I drain the system in the meantime.
 

Terry

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I would hold off on arrestors for the toilets. They normally are pretty slow closing.
Some older homes may have had air chambers for hammer. I used to do that in the 70's and 80's.
Draining the water down in that case allows those to be useful again.

Now that's no longer done, but we use the mechanical hammer arrestors instead.

hammer-arrestor-25.jpg
 
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Isthisit

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I would hold off on arrestors for the toilets. They normally are pretty slow closing.
Some older homes may have had air chambers for hammer. I used to do that in the 70's and 80's.
Draining the water down in that case allows those to be useful again.

Now that's no longer done, but we use the mechanical hammer arrestors instead.

Ok, ice maker it is.
 

Isthisit

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It's the ice maker refilling the ice cube trays. They can bang the pipes pretty well. I always install ice maker boxes with the arrestors for that reason.

Hammer arrestors go on
Washer
Dishwasher
Ice Make
And any valve that is quick closing,

icemaker-box-install-3.jpg


mini_resters.jpg


The arrestor on the left is for washer hoses, the one on the right can fit in-line for dishwashers and ice makers.
Typically 3/8" for dishwasher and 1/4" for ice maker.

Thanks Terry,

Indeed it was the ice maker. I turned off the ice maker and the noise was gone. Put an arrestor on it and all is good.
 
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