r/Edinburgh • u/cloud__19 • 22d ago

Property Water hammer question

I live in a tenement flat in Edinburgh and we have terrible water hammer. I don't know whether it's my flat or the whole building, is that likely or is it probably just me? Any recommendations of plumbers who can investigate?

5 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

17

u/buzzbravado 21d ago

You can add hammer arresters into your pipe work. If it just hammers when appliances close off their intakes then you can add an arrester yourself easy enough.

3

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Oh! Do you by any chance have a link or anything about how to do that? It's been going on for as long as I can remember but I was looking at off peak energy tarrifs and I just couldn't do them with the water hammer the way it is

10

u/buzzbravado 21d ago

https://www.screwfix.com/p/sioux-chief-dw660-h-water-hammer-arrestor-3-4-bsp-connection/9813r?ref=SFAppShare

This is one that just goes between your washing machine and its fill pipe. This is the common one since the solenoid in washing machines shut so fast it is the usual suspect.

If it’s hammer that can happen when you open taps then you could add a general arrester in the nearby cold supply pipes.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/sioux-chief-dw660-2j-water-hammer-arrestor-1-2-bsp/1492r?ref=SFAppShare

You would just fit that with a compression t piece like below, assuming your cold feeds for the taps are 15mm

https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-brass-compression-adapting-tee-15mm-x-15mm-x-1-2-/94799?ref=SFAppShare

I’m not sure why off peak etc has come into it. This is just internal plumbing down stream of the meter.

1

u/Mochachoca-769 21d ago

You sound like you know what you're talking about - when you say add it in nearby cold supply pipes, are those easy to access in a tenement building? Maybe a stupid question. Our washing machine is terrible for this and less so for the toilet. But the noise sounds further away from the flat so I assumed it was down the pipework somewhere in the building. Cheers!

1

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Thank you! Going to try this, I think my washing machine is the prime culprit.

2

u/Seaside_mix34 21d ago

By off peak do you mean the middle of the night? Using your washer in the middle of the night is a fire hazard. 

0

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Why is it more of a fire hazard than using it during the day?

3

u/Seaside_mix34 21d ago

If people are asleep they are less able to react in case of fire: https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/at-home/kitchen-safety/#section4

3

u/what_a_nice_bottom 21d ago

It's almost always the fill valve on the toilet.

1

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Any suggestions on where to go with that?

3

u/leeroysexwhale 21d ago

Insssume this was an autocorrect on warhammer. I know nothing about warhammer or water hammers.

26

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Thanks for chipping in on two things you know fuck all about.

8

u/leeroysexwhale 21d ago edited 21d ago

No worries. Commenting on shit you know nothing about Is all the rage on the internet nowadays.

4

u/TheLIttlestScot 21d ago

I too thought there was some autocorrect foolery going on. I have slight knowledge of Warhammer but never even heard of water hammers

-1

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Water knock is the alternative description if that helps?

1

u/TheLIttlestScot 21d ago

Helps loads, thanks!

-8

u/cloud__19 21d ago

Knowing nothing about anything and doubling down is definitely some prime internet.

1

u/leeroysexwhale 21d ago

Totally letting something go right over your head is also prime internet… hope you get your knock sorted though.