How do I make my house burp?

[commander bunnypants]

When I turn off the water in the upstairs bathroom I can here the backpressure rattle the pipes. Is it an airbuble in the pipes?

DDQM

[Silverhair]

1. Turn off the water slowly.

The water is in motion, and a valve closing stops the water suddenly. The noise you hear is the water "crashing" in the pipes.

[SoCalDem]

2. Tupperware roof??

:shrug:

sorry..couldn;t resist

[kmla]

3. It is from a phenomenon called "water hammer".

It occurs when you have an area with a relatively high water pressure, and (I'm guessing) a home with plumbing that has been there a few years (although I could be wrong). It occurs when the kinetic energy of the water running through the pipes suddenly has nowhere to go when the outlet for this pressure is cut off suddenly. This energy needs to be dissipated in some fashion - like dry firing a bow. This is because of a lack of an air bubble in the pipes (they are really called hammer arrestors, and can be found at your local plumbing supply store.) They function as a little shock absorber filled with air that will take the force of the running water once it's other outlet is shut off.

This is because water is virtually unable to be compressed, unlike air. Have you ever tried to compress one of those plastic medicine droppers when it is filled with water (and you hold your finger on the other end)? With water in the syringe, it is next to impossible. But with air, you can do it.

Have I bored you yet?

Here's a picture of one:

[Lars39]

5. I knew I should have waited for the professionals to weigh in!

:)

[commander bunnypants]

6. No thanks

I have about a 20 year learning curve on doing all this stuff. When I was a kid I was either reading or high and I never learned house maintenence. But I did install a new ice maker a few weeks ago.So I am learning.

Sounds likes I need to turn the valve off more slowly.

DDQM

[On the Road]

7. Sometimes Draining the Pipes Will Do It

KMLA is correct on the solution to water hammer.

Before getting one of those devices installed, however, there is a chance it's not necessary. Some houses have a simpler kind of air cushion consisting of just a protruding bit of empty pie shaped like the device above. If it gets filled up with water, the water hammer will return.

In this case, you can solve the problem by closing the main shutoff valve in the house, opening all the faucets, and letting all the water bleed out.

[kmla]

8. Tis true, ribofunk...

This would be your first solution to try to remedy the situation. The hammer arrestors do sometimes tend to get filled with water over the years, rendering them ineffective. If they are already present, this is the way you can "rejuvenate" them.

If they are not present however, you must learn to live with the THUNK every time you turn off your faucets.

[denverbill]

11. A couple of questions.

How long have those devices been around? Would most 20 year old houses have them?

Also, how many of them are needed? One for each fixture or just one for the whole house? We've got one toilet that makes an awful racket when it's valve closes.

[bleedingheart]

13. hey I have one of those!

and I must stay they will save you loads on plumbing bills because high water pressure is unkind to your pipes and water heater...

[Lars39]

4. Can't remember what it's called, but there is a way to run the pipes

so that they don't do that. It's an extention of extra pipes that come up that gives the water some place to go, that stops the gurgling. My husband plumbed part of our house and put them in, and where the plumbers did the rest is where we have the banging problem. Maybe one of the DUer plumbers can supply the name.

[Insider]

9. thread title of the week

outstanding :toast:

[damnraddem]

10. It's very simple:

1. place your house over your shoulder,
2. gently pound its back.

[MadMike]

12. Have you tried................