Finding a plumber in Bristol to solve your noisy plumbing system need not be a problem. The sound of noisy banging pipes is never a healthy sound to hear especially when it is in your house. This phenomenon is known in the plumbing trade as water hammer and is especially prevalent in old buildings in Clifton, Kingsdown, Cotham and Redland with old internal plumbing systems.

Water hammer is caused by moving pipes that move and bang on under-floor surfaces or on other pipes. The sound is amplified as pipes are good conductors of sound and are often made of metal filled with water and in hollow empty spaces. Water hammer is usually found within the cold water system as this is mains fed and at a higher pressure than the gravity fed system.

As the water flow is stopped and started a ripple effect is created through the pipe thus forcing unfixed pipes to move. If there has been work done recently on the water system it is quite probable that the work carried out has caused water hammer.

Sometimes fitting new taps or valves will create water hammer on existing pipe work as the flow rate of water stopping and starting has been made more efficient therefore sharper, thus causing more powerful ripples. It is at this time whilst maintaining and repairing water systems the problem should be diagnosed and corrected. So if your home was built in the Georgian or Victorian periods, including areas such as Bedminster, Sneyd Park and Easton of Bristol ensure that your contract with the plumber includes a guarantee that if water hammer occurs he is required to return and fix it.

It is also possible for a ball valve to bob up and down on water ripples and cause the action of water hammer as the valve is open and closed in quick progression. If this is left untreated the wear and tear over a period of time will most likely fracture pipe connections causing water damage to the property. The solution is simple and can be easily remedied by correctly clipping the pipes at the correct distances as set out in UK building regulations.

The main difficulty for your plumber however can be getting to the pipes as often these are boxed in or under floor boards, and it may be necessary to lift up floors or break into a concealed box to gain access; this is a regular occurrence in the older houses of Bristol. It is often more cost effective to find the valve that is causing the water hammer and replace, adjust or adapt it.

So, when looking for a plumber in Bristol to fix the problem of banging pipes or water hammer it is not necessarily a specialist that you need but more a plumber with handyman experience as he will undoubtedly be looking under floorboards or behind boxed in areas.

Finding a plumber in Bristol can be a difficult job especially when the types of houses and flats vary so enormously over the whole city. In Clifton, for example, many of the large Georgian houses have been converted into flats which means that a plumber may be required to have specialist knowledge of building regulations in order to do a proper job; walls can be twice as thick as in the ‘new build’ areas such as Henbury. We all sometimes need an expert in life; we cannot all be an experienced expert in everything we need done. It is necessary sometimes to call on the help of a person of experience.

Where water is concerned it is even more important to get a job done right as the consequences can be severe, especially as water can do a lot of damage and can be very dangerous, deadly even when contacted with electricity.

When searching for a plumber it is always a good idea to get three quotes as prices can vary. It is also important to know the quality of work will be of a professional standard. If you have found a plumber, via a referral from somebody who has had plumbing done, you are half way there as nobody recommends bad workmanship. If you have not seen the plumber’s own work then ask to see pictures of jobs they have completed and then ask if you can contact past clients. As a bare minimum ask how long their company has been established and then Google the company and individual plumber’s name.

There are many builders and plumbers who do not have any certification in the UK, there is no law against this and this is not to say they would not do an adequate job. However in the UK there are vast numbers of specific building regulations relating to plumbing that are in place to guarantee a certain level of quality, for example if a pipe is not at the correct angle there could be consequences of smells coming up out of sewers due to siphoned action in traps. This is particularly important if you live in the Kingsdown, Redland and Cotham areas as some of the plumbing systems are now so old that when replacing pipes or upgrading heating systems one change in pressure (fro one apartment, can mean that the other apartments can be affected. It is always a good idea to check basic UK certification and also that the plumber in question has suitable insurance. The UK standard certification is City and Guilds for building trades.

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Always ask for definitive quotes and do not be afraid to ask for a maximum price. Sometimes without taking up floors or seeing what is behind fixtures it is not always possible to give fixed prices, in this case ask for a maximum it would be and to safeguard yourself take this as your quote. The difference between an estimate and a quote is that an estimate is of course an estimate and there is a danger you could end up paying a lot more than the figure initially given to you.

So, no matter where you live in Bristol make sure that your plumber understands all the ramifications of your specific job.