Is my Fluidmaster hurting my plumbing?

[Bruce K.]

Whenever I flush my toilet which has a Fluidmaster valve the valve shuts off suddenly, causing my pipes to vibrate. Is this damaging my pipes?

Thanks for your help.

Bruce

[R & S]

[Joseph Meehan]

Secure the pipes if possible and add a anti-waterhammer device.

[NickySantoro]

BTDT. I closed the supply valve up a bit and it stopped. It just takes a little bit longer to fill up now. FWIW YMMV

[jaynews]

On mine, if close the toilet shutoff valve too much, then this can cause a different (much worse) hammer problem in which a machine-gun like rattle will happen.

Is this a problem that REALLY needs be fixed (to prevent damage to the pipes), then I think the most cost-effective solution may be just to switch to a different brand of refill valve that doesn't shut off so abruptly, such as Korky.

I'm wondering if there a way to tell if the amount of water hammer is severe enough to be harming the pipes? Is any degree of audible thump or rattle an indication that the water hammer is harming the pipes, or is this only going to harm the pipes if it's a really loud bang?

Thanks,

J.

[P. Thompson]

I think you mean

site you listed was a CoolWebSearch domain squatter site.

[jaynews]

Wondering if there is a way to tell if hammer is severe enough to really be gradually harming the pipes?

The person at the hardware store CLAIMS that if the toilet has a flexible supply line, then this helps absorb enough of the vibrations that there should not be a problem with pipes being harmed. Not sure I really believe that the flexible line is really absorbing much, since vibrations I believe are downstream from the flexible hose.

J.

[jaynews]

Should have said "further back in the supply line" rather than "downstream."

J.

[George E. Cawthon]

Yes, because it is upstream.

[Jmagerl]

Sometimes existing water hammer arresters get filled up with water causing them not to work .You might try draining the pipes first to see if that works.

Partially closing the fill valve made my pipes "sing".

[Jeff]

I recently replaced a leaking older fluidmaster with a new one. On the package it said new quieter design. Yes it fills more quietly and shuts off more gently than the older ones. So this discussion may be moot in the future.

[jaynews]

Tried draining today. Did not help any. Seems the most cost effective solution (that I can think of) would be to replace the whole refill valve with a Korky Quietfill (which doesn't cause water hammer)......UNLESS...does.anyone happen to know of a safe/easy way to modify the Fluidmaster valve itself to solve the problem?

J.

[MLD]

Water hammer is destructive. It is a series of high frequency pressure spikes (well above the steady state house pressure) that can cause a failure anywhere in your system. I've seen it cause flanges bolted to a housing fail at the bolted connection. It is typically caused by an abrupt stoppage in the flow--I've fixed it many times by using a damping orifice in the system--obviously not something you can do easily in your home plumbing. However, it's equivalent is the air gap standoff in the line. It acts as an accumulator and absorbs the pressure pulses. MLD

[Joseph Meehan]

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