Ask The Contractors a Question.
This one is from Tonya M. in Midtown Sacramento …
We live in a classic Victorian home in an old part of town. Every time I do the laundry it sounds like a marching band in my mudroom.
Question:
- Why Are My Pipes Banging When I Use My Washing Machine?
Joining us now is: Marcelle Flowers with Armstrong Plumbing in Sacramento
Or follow the transcript below.
Todd: I want to thank all of you who send me the questions here to askthecontractors.com. I love answering them. I love talking about my business. I’m hooked on it. It’s my drug in life. I love being a contractor.
Todd: Here’s the question of the week: It comes from Tanya M. in Midtown. She says, “We live in an old classic Victorian home in the old part of town. Every time I do laundry it sounds like a like a marching band in my mudroom.”
“Why are my pipes banging when I use my washing machine?”
Joining this right now Marcelle Flowers, owner of Armstrong Plumbing here in Sacramento. Why are those pipes banging?
Marcelle: I would tell you that this is an effect that we commonly call in our industry Water Hammer and that is what she’s experiencing. Imagine your pipes; your water is traveling through your pipes at a tremendous velocity and when they’re met with an immediate shut-off, it creates kind of a shock wave.
Todd: What is the biggest problem that you find in these old homes?
Marcelle: Well, it’s not limited to older homes. We have some remedies for them but sometimes we come across even newer homes with Water Hammer and it’s fixable. I will tell you there are some wonderful, very low-cost solutions but it’s something that you don’t want to ignore. Water Hammer can cause damage to the fittings and weaken the connections. That could lead to leaky pipes which ultimately is something you don’t want to ignore because it needs to be addressed. We can have remedies put in place so that we’re not experiencing Water Hammer anymore.
Todd: If you’re interested in having your home looked at by Armstrong Plumbing give Marcelle Flowers a call at 916-473-1521 or go to AskTheContractors.com and use my Directory of Contractors. Marcelle Flowers and Armstrong Plumbing all their information is right there.
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