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Re: [Shop-talk] Loud Toilet

To: "'marty sukey'" <trmarty@hotmail.com>, "'shop-talk list'" <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Loud Toilet
From: "Karl Vacek" <kvacek@ameritech.net>
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:46:53 -0600
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: shop-talk@autox.team.net
References: <BLU168-W82E070B3835E616D9EBD07BA310@phx.gbl>
Thread-index: AQJdDDe1kgcOGknkhVrjGhhP1MSS9pcAP7aQ
Sounds like classic water hammer.  As the tank float drops, the fill valve
opens and water flow begins.  Might be that the new fill is just a little
more crisp in opening, giving a quicker start to the water flow, and more
hammer than with the old valve.

There should be a hammer trap in the water feed line near the valve on the
wall.  It's supposed to be full of air to absorb fast changes in water
pressure, which is what causes water hammer.  Over time, the air becomes
entrained in the water, and the hammer trap fills with water.  Eventually
there's just not enough air cushion left and hammer begins.  The trap is
just a vertical length of pipe teed into the line with a cap on top.  It
will be sealed in the wall, so you can't directly drain it or refill it with
air.  That means thoroughly draining that run of pipe.  It's often not much
harder to drain everything in the house at the same time and avoid the same
thing happening somewhere else soon.

In a long ranch house that's a little more difficult, but what you need to
do is get a drain opening in the water supply line as close to the shutoff
valve as possible.  Shut off the supply valve, open something as close to
the supply as possible and arrange a way for a few gallons of water to drain
without destroying your house, and then, starting at the furthest fixture,
open all faucets and flush all toilets to get all the water out of the
system.  Hammer traps may take a while to drain down, but they should all do
so eventually.  You may have to  remove the supply line to toilets to make
them drain properly, but usually just flushing the toilet will do the trick.

You want to start at the far end so you have maximum siphon effect and don't
leave a pocket of water somewhere, which can take longer of be really
difficult to drain.

Karl

-----Original Message-----
From: marty sukey
Subject: [Shop-talk] Loud Toilet
I have a 12 year old house. Master bathroom is at the opposite end of the
house from the water feed line. A few months ago the toilet in the master
bath started hammering when flushed. Like a water hammer shutter noise. I
replace the fill valve in the tank over the weekend, and it got worse???  As
the float is dropping to start filling the tank is when all the
shuttering/hammering takes place.  Any ideas?
Marty
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