Annoying water hammer

[TheEsoo]

Hi all,

after turning off water outside (washing machine tap is broken as I discovered to my "surprise") I noticed the new washing machine was making quite a bit of noise when stopping filling. I didn't put two and two together until today and duly turned the tap outside down a little - this has solved the washing machine noise (and downstairs sink which has been annoying for ages actually)

Alas, now both upstairs bathroom taps are "hammering" quite badly when turned off - unless very slowly. I can feel which pipe it is (cold) but turning off the hot also makes it bang. I can only assume a couple of days of the washing machine banging have dislodged a pipe a bit? (It was pretty loud)

I'm not really in a position to go ripping floors up, so is there anything I can do? Thought about clipping the pipes together, but I've tried holding them and that doesn't do much.

Would one of these do the job on the cold pipe? ;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toilets-Pre..._cp_201_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=10CYP4WEVB9NM833E9M1

I note the guidance is to put as close to the "problem valve" as possible - sounds to me as if the problem is somewhere deep underneath the floor so would installing near taps make any difference?


Cheers for any help

 

[Newboy]

First 'fix' would be to turn down your internal stopcock half a turn.

If that fails then a shock arrestor is one possible solution fitted close to your internal stopcock

 

[TheEsoo]

Alas, in ten years I've not been able to find it. I kid you not.

 

[Newboy]

Can you locate the rising main where it enter the house before it branches off?

 

[TheEsoo]

Er, pass. What's it look like? If its under the floorboards then no most likely

The only way I have to shut off at the moment is via the tap outside, dirty horrible thing!

 

[Newboy]

Typical places to look would be under the kitchen sink/downstairs cloakroom/WC/understairs cupboard.

 

[TheEsoo]

Is there anything that would identify it? There is a pipe coming up from under the sink (although its a white speedfit one), think one of the issues is that there was an extension to the kitchen in the 70s so things have moved. I have the plans, but they don't match what's here now so either it's changed again or they changed their mind. Theres certainly nowhere to turn the water off under sink / understairs etc :/

 

[ree]

If the plans dont have a BCO Approved stamp on the back then the extn was possibly non certified.

Stand outside at he external stop-tap cover and look in a straight line to the house - typically, thats where the mains entered. Can you crawl under your floor(S) to look for the internal stop-tap?

Operate the external shut-off while you are out there - is the supply pipe material plastic, copper or lead?

Kit fitter's sometimes blind the stop-tap with a unit.