# Loud hammer when pump turns on...



## jfls45 (Sep 23, 2009)

For the last week or so I have noticed an intermittent loud hammering in the supply pipe coming from the pump. I can hear it about 30-40 feet away from where the pressure tank is located somewhere up inside the finished basement ceiling. I just installed two strong clamps to hold the pipe in place to stop any physical movement of the pipe near the check valve so I know it isn't just the pipe banging against a floor joist.

There is a check valve with pressure switch located before the tank, I filled the tank to 28psi air and the cut in/off pressure is set at 50/30 psi. The hammering noise is happening only when the pump comes on, when turning off there is no hammer.

I am wondering if the check valve at the tank is bad or the check valve down in the well at the pump is bad? Could the pressure tank be causing this? Remember the hammer is only happening when the pump turns on.

I went to local Lowes and Home Depot to find another brass check valve with the two holes for the pressure switch and air bleeder but no luck. Haven't had a chance to get to a local plumbing house yet.

Am I missing anything here in my troubleshooting?

Jeff


----------



## Speedbump (Sep 24, 2009)

Get rid of the check valve alltogether and that piece of junk inline filter.  

The above may get rid of your hammer and it may also give you an indication of what the real problem is which that above ground check valve can be masking.

What is that gadget on the wall supposed to do?


----------



## jfls45 (Sep 24, 2009)

Speedbump said:


> Get rid of the check valve alltogether and that piece of junk inline filter.
> 
> The above may get rid of your hammer and it may also give you an indication of what the real problem is which that above ground check valve can be masking.
> 
> What is that gadget on the wall supposed to do?



If no check valve, where would I attach my pressure switch so the pump knows when to run?

What is your reason for not having a check valve here?

If I eliminated the junk inline filter, how do filter out sediment?  


The gadget on the wall is something I would assume you would reckognize??? Maybe?   It's an ultraviolet lamp filtration system.


----------



## Blue Jay (Sep 24, 2009)

The check valve inside is a bad idea it should be where the line leaves the casing to come to the house, if you have a leak between it and the well the line could go to a negative pressure and contaminate the system, put in a T to supply the pressure switch. Also looks like a hammer arrestor just before the virticule pipe at the wall, the only place I would put that is just before a washing machine, not in the supply to the pressure tank.


----------



## jfls45 (Sep 24, 2009)

Ok, I understand what your saying about the check valve. I am going to remove the gate or flapper and put it back on so I still have the pressure switch, unless you have a better way to pipe this up? 

What are your thoughts about installing a Pro-Plumber Sediment filter in the supply side of the pipe that goes into the pressure tank?  Of course I will take out the Culligan filter downstream of the pressure tank.


----------



## Speedbump (Sep 25, 2009)

If you remove the poppet from that check valve, that will be fine.  Otherwise a tee would do the same thing like mentioned earlier.

Inline filters don't take out anything that is harmful to you or your plumbing.  All they do is plug up and create more problems.

I didn't see a Culligan filter, so I don't know what kind of filter it is.

Ultra violet is ok in certain situations, but it needs to be used after water is treated with real equipment.  What is it that your trying to kill?  Bacteria of some sort?  Have you had the water tested to see if you in fact need that unit?  Usually with ultraviolet, you need the water softened and all the iron, tannin, manganese or any other mineral removed first.


----------



## Blue Jay (Sep 25, 2009)

jfls45 said:


> Ok, I understand what your saying about the check valve. I am going to remove the gate or flapper and put it back on so I still have the pressure switch, unless you have a better way to pipe this up?
> 
> What are your thoughts about installing a Pro-Plumber Sediment filter in the supply side of the pipe that goes into the pressure tank?  Of course I will take out the Culligan filter downstream of the pressure tank.



If you just gut the check valve that would work but then you would just confuse the next person that works on the system, myself I would just replace it with a T (you will already have the system open) and then no question about what is in place. If you are just trying to catch sediment then yes a good filter would be appropriate but it won't do anything else in the way of treating the water.


----------

