Washing machine water hammer question

[SMF]

Howdy,

I have a calypso whirlpool washing machine that has worked without any problems for the past 10 years but I've recently developed a problem. I am getting a constant water hammer vibration banging like sound in my hot water line (cold is ok) when the machine is not taking water in. It is not just when the water cuts off. Things are fine when it is taking water to the machine

Just looking for an opinion. Is it likely it is the valve that controls the water inflow. Is this something that can be fixed or should I just order the part - about $105. Part number 9724754.

Thanks so much for your help.

[jamesgangnc]

Those washing machine valves do close and open immediately. If the opportunity exists for water hammer it will happen. A new valve is not likely to fix it. If it never happened before then you need to figure out what changed. I'm also inclined to ask "are you sure?", a lot of peope do not use hot much in clothes washing these days.

Perhaps your pressure has gone up recently. Or there is a an air cushion in the system somewhere that has become water filled. A lot of local code these days requires a small bladder tank on the hot water heater. Those usually also reduce water hammer on the hot supply.

[mm]

This includes when you're not doing the laundry? It's not taking water in then. you have water hammer all the rest of the time?

I don't think it's that.

I got water hammer, in the cold water iirc, when I replaced the washing machine hoses with stainless steel clad hoses. That means the pressure change had been absorbed by the cold water hose. No wonder it burst. I solved it by buying a little water hammer thingy, that screws in between the washing machine hose and the washing machine inlet. I think I had to position the tube pointed upwards.

Some houses have such things in their pipes already, a dead end tube that points upwards and there could be a rubber separator between the water and the air, but it it's homemade, there probably won't be. Eventually the air in the tube gets absorbed by the water. IIRC from reading, what one has to do then is drain the pipe and let the air get back in. I'm not sure how long it takes for a dead-end tube to drain. If it's narrow like a straw, holding your finger on top of the straw will not let it drain at all. If it's 1/4 or 1/2" copper pipe, I don't know how long it will take, but I'd give it 10 extra minutes at least. After all, what difference does it make.

[Robert Neville]

All good suggestions. As a last resort, I noticed that one of the bix box hardware places was selling a screw on water hammer arrestor device that could be used behind the washer.