A water hammer arrestor is a device installed near fast-closing valves, like those on washing machines or dishwashers, containing a cushioned air chamber that absorbs the pressure shockwave created when water flow stops suddenly, preventing the banging noise and potential pipe stress that water hammer would otherwise cause.
Modern arrestors typically use a sealed piston or bellows design that maintains its cushioning air chamber reliably over time, offering more consistent, longer-lasting performance than older, simpler air chamber designs that could become waterlogged and lose their effectiveness.
Because water hammer arrestors are relatively inexpensive and straightforward to install, particularly near known problem sources like washing machine connections, they represent a genuinely cost-effective solution for addressing this common, disruptive plumbing noise issue.
What Does a Water Hammer Arrestor Involve?
- A cushioned air chamber absorbing pressure shockwaves
- Installation near fast-closing valves and appliances
- Sealed piston or bellows designs in modern products
- Relatively inexpensive, straightforward installation
Why Are Water Hammer Arrestors Important?
By absorbing the pressure shockwave that causes water hammer’s disruptive banging noise, arrestors provide a genuinely effective, relatively inexpensive solution to this common plumbing annoyance, protecting both household comfort and pipe integrity from the repeated stress that persistent water hammer could otherwise cause. This straightforward fix addresses a problem that’s easy to overlook until it becomes genuinely bothersome.
Homeowners experiencing persistent banging pipes, particularly coinciding with washing machine or dishwasher cycles, should consider installing or replacing water hammer arrestors at these specific connection points rather than assuming the noise is simply an unavoidable characteristic of the home’s plumbing. This relatively small investment offers meaningful relief from an otherwise persistent household annoyance.
Water Hammer Arrestor vs. Water Hammer
A water hammer arrestor is the solution device absorbing pressure shockwaves. Water hammer is the problem itself, the banging noise and pressure disruption that occurs when fast-closing valves stop water flow suddenly.