Eliminating Water Hammer

Q: How can I stop the knocking sound coming from the pipes in my house. I installed new taps in our bathroom showers and tubs and now we have a bad case of water hammer. Can I fix this problem without tearing the walls apart?

A: Water hammer is a loud knocking sound that occurs in water supply pipes, usually when water stops flowing abruptly as taps are turned off quickly. The cure is to introduce some sort of air cushion into your plumbing system to act as a shock absorber. Water hammer arrestors are available for this purpose, designed to be spliced into pipes near the offending plumbing outlet. Larger units are available for protection of your whole house. An air-cushioned pressure tank of the sort used in rural water systems does an excellent job eliminating water hammer everywhere in your home. Just connect it into the main water line and the problem will disappear. There is no need to tear open any walls.