Ligutom, Mike Anthony E.

1. What are some of the main causes of water hammer?

Hydraulic shock
Thermal shock
Flow shock
Differential shock
2. Enumerate some methods for solving water hammer?

Securing loose pipes

Install an Air Chamber
Installing Mechanical Water Shock Arrestors

Install a Water Pressure Regulator

3. What is water hammer?

Water hammer is a transient pressure phenomenon caused by the

rapid stopping of flow.

4. Is water hammer dangerous?

Yes, If the pulse is powerful enough, it can even burst lines or

end connections, which could be dangerous if the system contains
toxic and/or high-temperature fluids.

5. What are the warning signs of water hammer?

The most evident warning sign of water hammer is the noise. It

sounds like a loud, abrupt BANG or a THUG. It can often be
accompanied by rattling in the piping. Typically, it happens more
than once as the supersonic pressure wave bounces back and forth in
the piping system.

However, it’s not just the sound that may cause alert. If operators
are not at the facility when the sound happens, they may see other
warning signs in addition to the loud sound. Connections or
fastener may be loosened. Parts of the system may be out of
 alignment. This doesn’t mean definitively that it’s water hammer,
but it is something that should be explored.

It’s one thing to have loose bolt, which could be caused by

vibration. It is another thing to have that bolt sheared in half,
both of which could indicate a water hammer event.

6. How can water hammer be prevented?

• Properly sizing the distribution system so that water velocity

does not exceed the maximum water velocity recommended by the
piping manufacturer.
• Properly supporting the piping as recommended by the piping
manufacturer.
• Controlling the available pressure of the system by means of a
pressure reducing valve or valve assembly.
• Avoiding long runs of straight pipe, installing offsets where
necessary.
• Selecting valves that are not quick closing.
• Installing water hammer arrestors.
• Proper maintenance of the water supply system.

7. How can water hammer be solved?

Not all systems will experience water hammer, so simply adding

check valves to every system to prevent it may not be necessary. It
is difficult to anticipate water hammer.

Once water hammer has been identified the first step is to check
for damage and repair any damage to the equipment. The next step
would be to install a properly sized spring-loaded check valve in
the best location in the system to prevent or minimize future water
hammer issues.

Check-All Valve spring-loaded check valves can be retrofitted to

existing systems. Many have standard connections and spring
settings. The most common check valve is a swing check, which has a
flapper. These typically have an upfront cost that is relatively
inexpensive and maybe a reasonable low-cost solution to prevent
backflow for some applications. The downside is that some of these
don’t close before reverse flow happens. More importantly, because
a swing check requires backflow to close, it can actually cause
water hammer issues or add to ones already in the system.

For these reasons, spring-loaded check valves are the best solution
for solving water hammer and its damaging effects.