water hammer in block of flats

[ort67]

For a few years I've lived in a top floor flat in a three story block of flats recently a problem has developed with the water mains.

Every minute or so the water pressure suddenly surges causing a knocking sound thought the flat.

When I turn off the water supply in my utility cupboard it still happens at the mains, so the problem must be somewhere further down the line.

I've read about "water hammer" I'm not sure if that is the same problem. My guess it could be a problem with the a pump somewhere but I really don't know.

The water main is shared between 9 flats in the close.

Does anyone have any ideas what can be done to fit it? I've contacted my factors about it, hopefully they can help.

 

[dilalio]

You'd need access to all flats to go hunting for that! You could try a friendly note through everyone's door explaining the nuisance your getting and asking if anyone has had any plumbing modifications done recently!

 

[Nozzle]

One such example of plumbing work that might cause water hammer is having ya taps replaced with quarter-turn jobbies (the type with levers on). The abrupt stopping of flow is what causes the water hammer, washing machine solenoids and 1/4 turn taps facilitate it.

Nozzle

 

[ort67]

I'm not actually sure it is water hammer, but could be some fault in the water main.

It's some kind of pressure surge that happen every couple of minutes 24/7.

It's driving me mad, keeps me awake when mains water is open. Have to shut of the mains supply at night to stop it bothering me.

 

[Nige F]

It's driving me mad, keeps me awake when mains water is open. Have to shut of the mains supply at night to stop it bothering me.

Where do you do that ; not in the utility cupboard as you said that doesn't help.

 

[ort67]

Where do you do that ; not in the utility cupboard as you said that doesn't help.

I shut it off in the utility cupboard, that shuts down the water supply to my flat alone. But I can still observe/hear the water surging affecting pipework when that valve is shut.

When that valve opens the surging runs though the whole flat causing the banging noises.

When I have taps/shower running you can observe the water spitting out when it happens. Even when everything in the flat is off it still happens.

 

[Nige F]

Try contacting your water supply co. and the other flats in the block ( as suggested) It might be the float valve in a communal roof mounted storage cistern where a "wave" of water gets going across the water and then makes the float go up+down, thus surging in the rising main.

 

[ort67]

Try contacting your water supply co. and the other flats in the block ( as suggested) It might be the float valve in a communal roof mounted storage cistern where a "wave" of water gets going across the water and then makes the float go up+down, thus surging in the rising main.

Ok thanks, I've reported it to Scottish water and my factors hopefully they can full the finger out and fix it.

Don't think we have a communal storage cistern, think it is piped straight up to the flats from the street. Could be wrong though.

 

[ort67]

Try contacting your water supply co. and the other flats in the block ( as suggested) It might be the float valve in a communal roof mounted storage cistern where a "wave" of water gets going across the water and then makes the float go up+down, thus surging in the rising main.

I contacted the supply co and they couldn't find a problem with the mains pressure at street level or in the flat.

The water hammer is coming from else where in the building so I guess it might be very difficult to pinpoint.

Does anyone know if it a viable solution would be to install in my utility cupboard some kind of water hammer arrestor to absorb the shock wave of the water coming into the flat?

Something like these:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/thomas-dudley-ltd-dw660-h-water-hammer-arrestor-bsp-connection/9813r

http://www.solenoid-valve.world/by-...f6apIRYY0ddIT6xlCamKFZWohkPthHQr7XxoCVdLw_wcB

 

[dilalio]

I contacted the supply co and they couldn't find a problem with the mains pressure at street level or in the flat.

The water hammer is coming from else where in the building so I guess it might be very difficult to pinpoint.

Does anyone know if it a viable solution would be to install in my utility cupboard some kind of water hammer arrestor to absorb the shock wave of the water coming into the flat?

Something like these:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/thomas-dudley-ltd-dw660-h-water-hammer-arrestor-bsp-connection/9813r

http://www.solenoid-valve.world/by-...f6apIRYY0ddIT6xlCamKFZWohkPthHQr7XxoCVdLw_wcB

Communal living, I'm afraid!
You'll not likely be able to resolve a foreign issue with a local remedy!
Just like a roof leak cannot be repaired internally!

 

[ort67]

Communal living, I'm afraid!
You'll not likely be able to resolve a foreign issue with a local remedy!
Just like a roof leak cannot be repaired internally!

The problem has been fixed.

It turned out one of the flats on the ground floor had a defective valve in the toilet cistern, which was causing it to discharge and refill all time, creating the pulsing effect in the water main.

 

[dilalio]

Try contacting your water supply co. and the other flats in the block ( as suggested) It might be the float valve in a communal roof mounted storage cistern where a "wave" of water gets going across the water and then makes the float go up+down, thus surging in the rising main.

@Nige F came closest - he gets the box of Quality Street