We had 2 toilets installed when we bought our home in September 2013. Over time, both have developed this terrible rumble after the reservoir is filled up. There is also a slight hammer at the same time from the back of the fridge (water line, presumably). It only happens with these two particular toilets, which are located on separate floors. I've read plenty on water hammer, and I'm not inclined to DIY the suggested fixes. Could someone take a look/listen at this video and let me know whether it is indeed water hammer or perhaps just problems with the two particular toilets? Thanks,
Water hammer or something else?
- Thread starter mhbarber
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Maybe I had to hit 'publish' in the youtube screen. Could you try the video again, Reach4? Thanks so much.
It's the fill valve.
Something quieter would be the Korky 528MP with the gray cap.
Something quieter would be the Korky 528MP with the gray cap.
A loud fill valve would cause the violent shaking behind the fridge?
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Fluidmaster's sound like that more often than some other brands. Also, you might want to check your static water pressure. If it's over 80psi ever, you should install a pressure reduction valve and an expansion tank. You can pick up an inexpensive gauge with a second, tattle tale hand on it to record peak pressures. You can install it on anything with a typical hose fitting (washing machine, outdoor faucet, WH drain valve - but watch that, it will get hot!). LEave it for 24-hours, and note the 'typical' pressure and the peak. Water pressure often gets higher late at night and early morning before people start to use a lot again. Water hammer happens more often and louder when the pressure is higher - the water is moving faster.
Any valve that shuts off quickly can create a water hammer - ice maker on the frig, washing machines, toilet fill valves, humidifier, etc. If you water pressure is high, first deal with that. THen, consider an engineered hammer arrestor at those locations with solenoid valves to stop it completely. Those shock waves don't do any of the plumbing and especially hoses any good.
The machine gun sound is from the valve bouncing at the end of the cycle...turning on and off rapidly and is typical water hammer.
Any valve that shuts off quickly can create a water hammer - ice maker on the frig, washing machines, toilet fill valves, humidifier, etc. If you water pressure is high, first deal with that. THen, consider an engineered hammer arrestor at those locations with solenoid valves to stop it completely. Those shock waves don't do any of the plumbing and especially hoses any good.
The machine gun sound is from the valve bouncing at the end of the cycle...turning on and off rapidly and is typical water hammer.
Any hammering in the system can make the tubing for the icemaker jump.
Which by the way, I always install a hammer arrestor for my icemakers.
Your fill valve, is chugging away pretty good. Just saying
WJcandee
Wise One
Guess you need to read more on water hammer.
As others have pointed out, that's a classic water-hammer sound.
The answer to your question above is, "Yep." The resonance created by the hammer is vibrating your fridge water line as well as a bunch of other stuff, but it's most obvious to you at the fridge. Eliminate the hammer and you eliminate the fridge problem. It's not the "loudness" of the valve that's the issue, it's what it's causing the piping in your house to do.
Fluid dynamics can be nasty and not-intuitive: I once was involved in a lawsuit regarding one of the better-known buildings in Manhattan. Massive diesel tanks in the basement. Enormous generators on the roof to power emergency systems and a bank's trading floor in the event of an outage, as well as to provide stable power and take load off of ConEd during NYC Hot Summer Day peak usage. Big CAT diesel engines don't burn all the fuel that is sent into them and thus they have a fuel flow in and a fuel flow, surprisingly, out. The "out" returned back to the basement, so what you had was basically a giant loop up 60-some floors by a pump and back down by gravity. Long story short: it appears that when a return valve was closed in the basement to change fuel tanks during system operation, it somehow caused a 60-floor water hammer of diesel fuel, resulting in loud cavitation and resonance that was heard throughout the building and which was sufficient to blow the fuel filter off one of the generator systems and start a gigantic diesel-fed fire that destroyed everything on the roof. Tens of millions in damage, including the logistics involved in rigging all the burned stuff off the roof of a fully-occupied 60-story building and lifting all the replacement stuff back into place.
Young man that you are from your photo, I'm pretty sure you CAN do this solution as a DIY. Installing a $12 Korky 528MP is certainly something that you can do yourself, and it will probably go a long way to fixing your problem. As Jim points out, making sure your water pressure is within proper limits is also something else that you should do. If you need an expansion tank (or to replace an existing expansion tank or Pressure Reducing Valve at your house-to-street water connection), then you might think about calling a plumber.
Places you can buy a Korky 528MP: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Korky-Qu...MERCH=REC-_-nosearch2_rr-_-NA-_-203145423-_-N
http://www.lowes.com/pd_336988-868-528MPK_0__?Ntt=528mpk&UserSearch=528mpk&productId=3284948&rpp=32
Installation video (if a nice Wisconsin girl can do it, so can you!!):
Korky makes all its stuff in Wisconsin, USA. Nothing hecho en Mexico, like Fluidmaster.
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