Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Apr 25, 2014 1:50 am We had a new house built '12-'13 (completed June'13). The ensuite has a freestanding bath with the hot/cold (one) tap on the wall next to it (the long side of the bath in the middle) and a tall freestanding spout at the short end of the bath for the water to come out. (Sorry if that's not the correct terms). Ever since handover when we tested the tap, there has been a loud bang when it is turned off, particularly when it's on hot water (don't get it on cold alone). We brought that up with the builder and they said it was "water hammer" but not something that could be fixed because the pipe is coming a long from the bottom floor to the first floor (isn't that where pipes always come from?!) and the spout is at the end of the bath a long way from the tap and is one of the tall freestanding types. Is this correct? ie Is it something that cannot be fixed or shouldn't need to be and that we can live with? I don't want to find that damage is caused down the track when they should have ripped the tiles off and replaced something. Many thanks for any advice. We have not been too pleased with the plumbing in general - our toilet cistern doesn't shut off when we flush so it drips water into the bowl and has made a water mark on the back inside. One of the ensuite sinks also stinks intermittently in the overflow hole and they have checked and even changed the trap thing underneath but it still smells. We had a far bigger problem with the plumbing that caused flooding in the room below but I won't go into detail as I am not sure what the rules are with publicly discussing these things and they fixed it although the room below was only patched! Re: Water hammer 2Apr 25, 2014 2:27 am Water hammer can be fixed, and some possible fixes are discussed at this link: http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2013/05/water-hammer/ With the issue of the leaking toilet it might be just a problem with the washer; or it may be a symptom of your house is served by very high pressure. Rather than try the water hammer solutions mentioned in the link it may be better to see about having a domestic Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) fitted. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Water hammer 3Apr 25, 2014 3:12 am Your single (hot and cold) bath tap is causing shock waves when first opened because it is being opened too quickly. Just open and close it a bit slower. The symptom is more common with the lever type of taps that allow a quick open/close action. The meter must deliver a maximum of 500 kPa, you could test the pressure yourself by buying a pressure tester (they cost about $18 from memory. These test the static pressure in the pipes. The cistern may only need adjusting. Lift the lid off the cistern and have a look at how close to the cistern overflow the water level is. Are both of the en-suite sinks used? A smell is nearly always the result of water drying up in one of the traps. Very hard to comment further without seeing the pipes under the basins. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. 18 90484 From what I know about water tanks (I've been working with a client on them for a few years now) is this - The concrete can last a lifetime if they don't crack for some… 2 10630 4 10822 |