One of the main problems in the operation of autonomous heating systems and water supply is the pressure drop. Water hammer in the water supply and water heating system, resulting from this sharp drop, can cause serious damage. It must be warned, agree?
We will tell you how to prevent the phenomenon and neutralize its negative consequences, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the circuits. Here you will find out what methods are used to exclude water hammer in systems that transport water to water taps and heating appliances.
In the article presented for familiarization, the nature of water hammer is described in detail. Preventive measures that exclude the occurrence of a dangerous situation are listed. For a clear perception of a difficult topic attached diagrams, photo illustrations and videos.
What is a water hammer?
A water hammer is a short-term but significant pressure surge in a fluid-filled system. This phenomenon occurs when a fluid stream collides with an obstacle in its path. Typical examples of the occurrence of such barriers include a sharp overlap of valves, a sudden stop of the pump, an air plug, etc.
Faced with an obstacle, the flow of water by inertia continues the flow at the speed with which it moved until the obstacle appeared. The first layers in contact with the obstacle are compacted at the same speed due to the arrival of the following layers.
Due to the constant injection of new layers of the flow, the pressure increases rapidly, and the liquid “searches” for a way to dump its part in order to discharge it.
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A similar situation almost always occurs when the flow breaks with a ball valve or valve. At first glance, the phenomenon may seem harmless. And so many owners do not give him much attention.
But in fact, if you find the prerequisites for a brewing defect in pipes and fittings, it is worth eliminating it as soon as possible. Indeed, due to water hammer in the heating system, splits and cracks appear, as well as equipment damage.
This serious problem may be preceded by clicks and knocks, as well as extraneous noise in the water supply pipes, accompanied by a characteristic “growl”.
Clicking occurs predominantly in those places where larger pipes are connected to smaller sections. Water flowing along their inner walls encounters an obstacle, albeit inferior, but still.
The regular occurrence of water hammer negatively affects the operation of the system, significantly reducing its life
In the event of an emergency, the effects of water hammer can affect:
- equipment (tightness of pipelines is broken and heating devices are destroyed);
- property (water flowing out of a damaged network will flood housing and lead to furniture damage);
- household (if the violation occurred in the heating system, there is a danger of serious thermal burns).
According to statistics, the “lion's share” of pipeline accidents, amounting to about 60%, occurs due to water hammer. More often, the negative consequences of this effect can be observed in worn pipes covered with corrosion.
The consequences of regular hydrodynamic shocks can be unpredictable, and the most common among them is a breakthrough.
It causes the most troubles to extended pipelines, for example, when arranging a “warm floor”, along the contours of which a liquid preheated to a certain temperature circulates.
The degree of damage largely depends on the location of the barrier: if it is at the beginning of an extended pipeline, the magnitude of the increased pressure will be insignificant, but if at the end it will be much higher.
Most often, the effect is manifested when pipes of different diameters were involved in the installation of the heating system. If “multi-sized” pipes with the help of adapters are not brought to a common “denominator”, an increase in pressure in the heating system is inevitable. In this situation, to protect the system, the circuit is equipped with a special valve - a thermostat.
Causes of water hammer
The physical nature of this phenomenon lies in a complete loss or a significant decrease in the throughput of water pipes, as a result of which the pressure of the liquid in the system increases.
In houses where engineering communications were illiterate designed and equipped, one can often hear characteristic tapping and clicks in the pipeline.
They are an external manifestation of water hammer and arise when the circulation of a liquid suddenly stopped in a closed system, and then its movement suddenly resumed.
Natural plugs of the pipeline are often air traffic jams, adapters from a larger diameter to a smaller one, or shut-off valves installed
If an obstacle arises in the way of a water moving at a certain speed, its speed will slow down and the volume will continue to increase. Finding no way out, it forms a backward wave, which, colliding with the main body of water, increases the pressure in the system. Sometimes it can reach a threshold of 20 Atm.
Due to the tightness of the line, the accumulated volume has nowhere to go, but powerful energy still seeks to find a way out into the external environment. The impact force resulting from such a collision creates the danger of a pipe rupture, which does not have an adequate margin of safety.
For this reason, for the arrangement of the system, it is necessary to use seamless water-gas pipes adapted to water networks that comply with GOST 3262-75, or pressure-tight metal-plastic analogues made in accordance with GOST 18599.
From the permanent impact of water energy, both the pipeline itself and the rigid elements of the system will gradually or quickly become destroyed
The main factors provoking the occurrence of water hammer in pipes are:
- malfunctions or failure of the circulation pump;
- the presence of air in the closed loop of the system;
- power outages;
- at sudden shutoff of shutoff valves.
A short-term increase in pressure in a closed circuit due to injection of fluid above the norm can occur if, when the pump is turned on, the impeller starts its movement at high speeds.
Recently, when equipping an autonomous heating system, instead of old valves and gate valves, ball valves are increasingly used, the device of which does not provide for a smooth run.
Their ability to have a quick-acting effect has a flip side, being one of the most common causes of water hammer.
If air was not released from the system when the system was started, at the moment of opening the ball valve, air collides with a practically incompressible fluid
In terms of safety, screw taps are more preferable, since due to the phased unwinding of the axle boxes, they provide smooth opening / closing of shutoff valves.
A similar situation occurs when air is not released from the circuit before starting the system. At the time of opening the tap, water collides with an air plug, which in a closed system acts as a kind of pneumatic shock absorber.
How to avoid a problem?
Competent protection of the water supply piping system will help reduce the intensity and neutralize the effect of excess pressure.
Protective mechanisms for autonomous systems against water hammer in most cases are aimed at smoothing the flow of water mass
To prevent the creation of excess pressure of a single and permanent nature both on a separate section of the circuit and on the whole system as a whole, a number of basic measures are used.
Option 1. Soft overlap system
This is one of the basic requirements for starting and shutting down piping systems, which is clearly spelled out in regulatory documents.
The fact is that the energy of hydraulic shock due to the elasticity of the pipe walls does not act simultaneously with all its strength. Due to compensation of elastic deformations, it is divided into several time intervals.
And therefore, with the same total force of impact, the impact power at a certain moment will significantly decrease. By means of a soft start, the pressure build-up process can be extended in time, minimizing significant damage to the system.
When choosing shutoff valves, preference should be given to products that have a relatively large interval of water overlap
Cranes, the design of which provides a large gap until the water is shut off, are installed at the equipment installation stage.
Option # 2. The use of automatic devices
Automation should be set to smoothly correct the static pressure in the system. To achieve the desired effect helps install pumps with automatic change of speed or units with electronic control, which are equipped with built-in frequency converters.
The use of automatic systems will allow you to control the flow of fluid, as well as read the readings of its pressure in the pipeline
Pumps equipped with automatic speed control of the electric motor are able to gradually increase / decrease the pressure in the system. At the same time, the software simultaneously performs two tasks: it monitors the pressure in the water supply and automatically adjusts the pressure.
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Ways to comprehensively upgrade the system
A comprehensive modernization of the system involves the installation of equipment aimed at neutralizing the effects of excessive pressure.
Method # 1. The use of expansion joints and shock absorbers
Absorbers and accumulators simultaneously perform three functions: collect the liquid, while eliminating its excess volume from the system, and also help prevent an undesirable phenomenon.
The compensating device, the role of which is the accumulator, is installed in the direction of water movement at those intervals of the heating circuit where there is a high probability of pressure fluctuations in the system.
The hydraulic accumulator or quencher is a steel flask with a volume of up to 30 liters, including two sections separated by a rubber or rubber membrane.
When excessive pressure occurs in the system, the water column of the first section begins to put pressure on the separation membrane, due to which it bends in the direction of the air chamber
When the pressure rises, hydraulic shocks “kick off” into the tank. Due to the bending of the rubber membrane towards the air chamber at the time of raising the water column, the effect of artificially increasing the volume of the contour is achieved.
As shock absorbing devices use pipes made of heat-resistant reinforced rubber or elastic plastic.
The elastic material of the shock absorbers spontaneously extinguishes the energy of water hammer at the point where the pressure has reached a critical value
To achieve the desired effect, it is enough to use a product with a length of 20-30 cm. If the pipeline has a large length, the shock absorber section is increased by another 10 cm.
Method # 2. Installing a diaphragm type safety valve
The diaphragm type safety valve is placed on the pipe outlet next to the pump in order to discharge a predetermined amount of water with an excess of pressure.
The safety valve, equipped with a rigid seal, which performs the function of rapid pressure relief, is a reliable fuse of the autonomous system
Depending on the manufacturer and type of model, the safety valve is driven by the electrical command of the controller, or by means of a pilot quick-acting device.
The device operates when the pressure exceeds a safe level, protecting the pumping station when the equipment stops suddenly. At the time of a dangerous surge in pressure, it opens completely, and when it drops to a normal level, the regulator slowly closes.
Method # 3. Equipping the thermostatic valve with a shunt
The shunt is a narrow tube with a clearance of 0.2-0.4 mm, which is installed in the direction of circulation of the coolant. The main task of the element is to gradually reduce the pressure when overloads appear.
A narrow tube, the cross-sectional range of which does not exceed 0.2-0.4 mm, is placed on the side from where the liquid enters the thermostat
The bypass method is used in the arrangement of autonomous systems, the pipeline of which is made only of new pipes. This is due to the fact that the presence of rust and sediment in old pipes can reduce the efficiency of shunting to "no." For this reason, when using a shunt at the inlet to the heating circuit, it is recommended to install efficient water filters.
Method # 4. Using a thermostat with super protection
This is a kind of fuse that monitors the pressure in the system and does not allow it to work after the indicator reaches a critical point. The device is equipped with a spring mechanism located between the thermal head and the valve. The spring mechanism operates at overpressure, preventing the valve from completely closing.
Such thermostats are installed strictly in the direction indicated on the housing.
Maintenance work
In addition to strictly observing the rules for operating pipelines, timely preventive measures help prevent an accident. After all, all processes in the water supply system or heating circuit are interconnected. And water hammer is only the final destructive “drop” that can lead to negative consequences against the background of unsatisfactory technical condition of the water supply.
Pipeline vibrations and pressure changes contribute to the formation of microcracks in the metal structure. Defects that form over time during the onset of water hammer instantly appear in areas of increased internal stress: mechanical joints, bends and welds.
Prevention consists in balancing the heating system, which is performed after installation is completed or heating is repaired in a private house
The main complex of work performed during prevention:
- security group health check: safety valve, air vent and pressure gauge;
- periodic pressure check behind the expansion tank membrane, and upon detection of unsatisfactory results and its correction;
- system leak testing and checking the degree of wear of the pipes;
- valve position trackingth locking and regulating valves for leakage;
- regular check of filter status, delaying scale, sand and rust particles, if necessary - cleaning and washing elements;
Prevention aimed at maintaining the working condition of the plumbing and heating system includes simple types of work. But ignore them is not worth it. After all, this can lead to significant waste of money and time for conducting full-fledged repair work.
The listed protection measures are most effective if applied comprehensively. But thanks to an integrated approach to solving the problem, you can neutralize the negative consequences and thereby extend the life of the system.
Video # 1. Water hammer, how it happens:
Video # 2. Quencher efficiency test:
Water hammer in a water supply system is a common occurrence that can cause serious harm. And your task is to fix the problem as soon as possible. Indeed, when the situation repeats, the elements of the system will soon fail. And repair after that will cost much more.
Ask questions and write comments, please, in the block below. We are waiting for your stories about how you recorded a water hammer in the system or noticed its consequences. Your opinion about the information provided is interesting.