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Things I have done:

  1. Replaced faucet, and its shut off valves
  2. Put new shower cartridge (OEM)

Water is coming from the city supply, not well. This issue started happening for the past three weeks and I lived in the house for two years.

When I start the shower (hot water only OR mixing cold water), OR start faucet (hot water only OR mixing cold water) the pressure of hot water suddenly goes down and pipes start banging.

Note I do not run shower or faucet at the same time. This happens sporadically, not consistently, but very frequently. No banging noise or issues in the kitchen. Hot water is supplied by standard hot water heater bought from Home Depot. There are no arrestors in either shower, faucet, or kitchen and never been any.

When I replaced cartridge/faucet, issue went away for 5 days. It came back today after I took a long shower (?)

The noise is super loud and I'm afraid that the banging will literary rip off one of the connections somewhere.

*****UPDATE 12/13 - solution *****

I noticed there was a rust in the faucet aerator when I unscrewed it, and it was a brand new faucet. This prompted me to look at the pipes leading from hot water heater to the shower-- and found few feet line of galvanized pipe (I think that is how it is called?) (along with corroded unnecessary shut off valve in there) connected to the copper. I'm thinking the rust came from that pipe so water was not evenly flowing thus causing the pulse...

I replaced that few feet old pipe run with pex and it solved it! No more pipe banging for the past couple days and flow of the water is even and smooth. Thank you everyone for your input. Hopefully this post will help someone in the future.

I still need to deal with the pressure tank tiny leak but this issue has been solved.

SDsolar
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Kamsu
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4 Answers4

1

My bathroom sink hot water started to pulsate a few weeks ago. Hot water would go to a trickle and pulsate. The faucet is a horizontal trough model. Found the hot water shut off under the sink almost closed. I opened it up all the way and water gushed out and splashed out of the sink. I adjusted shut off valve about half ways, works great now.

Thomas Clark
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I had this happen in 1 Apartment in a 12 unit building, mostly on the hot water side. No other apartments had this issue. After the water was turned off it sounded like the water was still entering into the water heater. I drained the system and then replaced the cold water shut off at the water heater, that was not the problem. Checked with a few plumber friends, they did not know what the problem was. Checked the model and serial numbers from the water heater and it was from 2004 (It is now 2023).

When we started to replace the water heater, it would not drain. There was over 2 feet of sediment in the bottom! My theory was the cold water tube was buried in the sediment. After replacing the water heater the water pipes stopped banging and the surging went away.

ThreePhaseEel
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Rick Adams
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this is a common problem called water hammer. its caused by resonance in the system of pipes that makes up your home water supply system. this can be caused by trapped air, but can happen without it as well. you have two solutions:

1) install an anti-water hammer arrester. its a little doodad that helps to smooth out the pulses so you don't get the resonant waves running through the system.

2) go through and mechanically fasten the pipes better than they currently are. unfortunately, as most will be running through finished ceiling and wall cavities, this means cutting holes and patching them.

personal privacy advocate
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0

The valve to the expansion tank is probably broken, clogged or seized. You will probably need a plumber to fix it.

Tyler Durden
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