How to Quiet Pipes With a Water Hammer Arrestor | This Old House

Silencing noisy pipes with This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

Shopping List for Quieting Pipes With a Water Hammer Arrestor:
- water hammer arrestors
- copper T-fittings
- lead-free solder and flux
- emery cloth
- teflon tape
- plastic pipe clip and 1 5/8-inch screw

Tools for Quieting Pipes With a Water Hammer Arrestor:
- screwdriver
- tubing cutter
- propane torch
- adjustable wrench
- drill/driver

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How to Quiet Pipes With a Water Hammer Arrestor | This Old House

[eugene]

lol. i can't remember the last house i've been to that has an access panel.

[masonwoltz]

"I have a cutaway". Richard always does!

[dirtbike]

It doesn't hurt to write a date on them. Applies to furnace filter, anode rod too

[peruprofundodance]

Oh! How convenient... we have an access panel.

[EyeOnTheTV]

Finally a homeowner on this show that's older than 45 and looks like a real person.

[hawkesworth]

I would have preferred to see how it sounded when the play in the pipe was fixed before installing the hammer device because now we don't know what fixed the problem.

[larrymoore]

He said he heard the sound also with the dishwasher on the first floor and washing machine in the basement. Wonder if that took care of all the problems.

[McFaddis]

Wow. What a convenient place to have an access panel. Looks like I need to cut one of those

[UnbreakableMnd]

The arrestor is not only there to quiet the noise, the arrestor is really there to prevent damage to your piping. The shockwave caused by the rapid closing of the valves can damage your piping over time.

[jorgeub]

Can those be placed anywhere in the house or do they have to go close to where the sound is coming from?

[edgarzamora]

Do you need one of those in every water opening or is one enough for the whole house

[randomclips]

Would a water hammer arrestor work on a hot water heating system. Eveytime the thermostat shuts the zone valave on the return it bangs the entire home.

[gsent]

Does it matter how close/far you install this to the facets thats causing the air hammers?

[-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

"What do you hear?"
"Just water."
"As it should be."

[joenoname]

Just so happens theres an access panel lucky

[maklarus]

next time before stopping the pipe from shaking can you please install the Hammer Device to see how it absorbs the shoks ? and after that secure it with a bolt ? :)

[kurtvonfricken]

Easy job for Richard. He didn't even put on his little tiny glasses and didn't mention plumbers putty.

[elvis]

I ordered some to connect to the washing machine connection as when I put a new valve on the machine it started to bang. I assume because the new valve closes faster than the old one did. Is there any style better than another? Nothing else bangs in my house plumbing wise…

[wbfaulk]

I would love to have seen the pipes moving around before the fix.

[worldview]

Do these parts have to be replaced periodically? esp. the rubber bladder ones?