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Water Hammer And Air In Pipes
How To Fix Water Hammer And Air In Pipes
Sprinkler
Warehouse
PVC / Pipe
Air in pipes is often confused with water hammer is often
confused with air in the pipes. For that reason, it is important that you
locate the problem before you start trying to fix the noise.
Noises in pipes can originate from many different causes
including, water hammer, air in the pipes, undersized water meters and changing
water temperatures.
Another common cause is water pressure higher than 60 PSI.
If the noise occurs when you open a valve or faucet, it is
probably air in the pipes.
However, if it occurs when a valve closes it is probably water
hammer. Although, if it happens when a pump starts, it could be air in the
pipes and/or water hammer.
Signs Of Water Hammer:
·
If the
noise occurs when a valve closes
·
Noise
when the pump starts
·
If you
hear quick repeated bumps or a loud thump followed by silence
Signs Of Air In The Pipes:
·
Noise
unrelated to a valve opening or closing
·
Noise
when a pump starts
·
Vibrating
or prolonged noises
Fixing Water Hammer:
The easiest method to fix water hammer is to lower the water
pressure for your entire irrigation system. It will not get rid of all of the
water hammer, but it will sometimes reduce it to a level you can live with.
If you have an automatic system, you may be able to rid water
hammer by simply changing the order in which the valves operate.
Simply find out which valve uses the least water. This will
probably be the one with the least amount of sprinklers, but not always.
Once you figure it out, rewire the controller so that the valve
that uses the least water is the last valve to run.
Try a water hammer arrestor. This mostly only works with just
water hammer caused from washing machines and dishwashers. But it is worth a
try with sprinkler related water hammer.
Install it per the instructions on the package and try putting
it on a hose bib to the point where the irrigation system connects to the house
water.
If you have a hose bib on the irrigation system mainline, that
is an even better place. Or you can tap into the irrigation mainline to install
it.
If it does not work, remove it and return it to the store where
you purchased it.
Try Reducing Pressure
If the valve is one size smaller than the pipe then there is a
chance that the valve is the problem. Cheaper valves often snap closed faster
than more costly ones. It might be a good idea to replace the valve.
Splitting valve zones is another good way to rid water hammer.
If only one of the irrigation valves is causing water hammer, the easiest
solution is to reduce the amount of water that valve is using.
That will reduce the velocity and the water hammer should stop.
You then need to reduce the amount of sprinkler heads the valve operates.
The easiest way to do that is to installing a second valve and
connect half the sprinklers to it.
Check all of the pipes that your water passes through on the way
from the water main to the valves to see if there is a “bottleneck” – a section
of pipe that is smaller than the others.
You will need to check the gooseneck, the house water supply
pipe and the irrigation mainline. As soon as you find one that is smaller than
the rest, replace that with a larger pipe.
To determine the size of the pipe, grab a piece of string about
6″ long. Measure how many inches of string it takes to go around the pipe once.
The string length is the circumference of the pipe. Using the
circumference you can find your pipe size below:
| For Copper and PEX Tube and Pipe | |
|---|---|
| Circumference | Pipe Size |
| 2.75″ | 3/4″ pipe |
| 3.53″ | 1″ pipe |
| 4.32″ | 1 1/4″ pipe |
| 5.10″ | 1 1/2″ pipe |
| For Steel Pipe or PVC Plastic Pipe | |
|---|---|
| Circumference | Pipe Size |
| 3.25″ | 3/4″ pipe |
| 4.00″ | 1″ pipe |
| 5.00″ | 1 1/4″ pipe |
| 6.00″ | 1 1/2″ pipe |
| For Flexible Polyethylene Pipe | |
|---|---|
| Circumference | Pipe Size |
| 2.96-3.33″ | 3/4″ pipe |
| 3.74-4.24″ | 1″ pipe |
| 4.90-5.57″ | 1 1/4″ pipe |
| 5.70-6.28″ | 1 1/2″ pipe |
Fixing Air in Pipes
There are two methods for removing air from pipes is to release
the air by opening the pipe or increase the water speed and force the air out.
Method 1
1.
Use The
Flow Control Handle To Open And Close The Valve
2.
To
force the air out you must increase the water velocity to the point that it
pushes out the air bubbles.
3.
To
increase the velocity by creating a high water demand you can achieve this by
turning on as many water outlets as possible.
4.
The
resulted high velocity causes the water to rush through the pipes forcing the
trapped air out of the pipe.
5.
Remove
the air you need to manually open two or more of the circuit valves at once.
6.
Run the
water for awhile in order to force all of the air out.
7.
Make
sure to close the valves one at a time.
8.
A
pressure surge can be caused if you close them at the same time and the surge
could damage your irrigation system.
Method 2
1.
To
increase the water velocity in a lateral pipe you must remove some of the
sprinklers from the valve circuit.
2.
Locate
and remove the three sprinkler heads that are the furthest from the circuit
valve.
3.
Once
they are removed open the valve and flush out the air.
4.
If that
does not solve it, try removing more sprinkler heads.
5.
As a
result, the air is flushed out put the sprinkler heads back on.
If your problem persists after the next cycle your sprinkler
heads could be at different heights causing the water to drain out of the pipes
through the sprinkler heads which causes air to get into the pipes.
As a result, you need to install check valves at the inlets of
your sprinklers.
The check valves do not affect your sprinklers it pushes the
water back so it does not drain out. So, a lot of manufactures are making
sprinklers with check valves built in.
Household Pipes
1.
To
remove the air, turn on all your faucets and flush all of your toilets.
2.
Wait a
few minutes to allow the air to move out.
3.
Turn
off the faucets one at a time, starting with the one closet to the location
your water supply enters your house.
4.
Flush
it again and wait two additional minutes before you close another faucet.
Changing the Landscape of
Irrigation One Customer at a Time
Steve Okelberry had a vision. Having spent time in the trenches
(literally), Steve knew what irrigation contractors and homeowners needed. And
it wasn’t available. Premium prices for low-quality sprinkler materials wasn’t
cutting it. Not by a long shot. So in his garage, Steve started Sprinkler
Warehouse. Committed to providing exceptional value, amazing customer service
and premium products, Steve filled the desperate previously unaddressed need in
the irrigation supply industry.
Through building relationships
with his customers, meeting the needs of homeowners and contractors alike, and
through an unrelenting commitment to quality, Sprinkler Warehouse has grown
into a multi-million dollar company. Sprinkler Warehouse is now the largest
online retailer of sprinkler supplies in the nation and still growing. Not
content to rest in the huge success of his company, Steve Okelberry continues
to refine and innovate, bringing his customers the cutting edge in both
irrigation and customer service. No, he hasn't forgotten his roots or the
reason he began this business. It boils down to this: Best Prices, Best
Customer Service, Best Products, bar none!
Our Guarantee to You
Sprinkler Warehouse provides quality sprinkler parts and supplies at
incredibly low prices. We sell brand new products with full Manufacturer's
Warranties. We refuse to sell used, refurbished, or re-manufactured items as
new products. We have an unwavering commitment to continually improve the
customer experience through employee training, new products, and the creative
use of technology. Our Houston showroom is a first in the retail irrigation
industry. Sprinkler Warehouse only continues to grow through serving our
customers with honesty, integrity, warmth, and expertise.
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