Half diagnosed problem, how to fix and what info to give a pro Plumber

[Ben-gee]

Sounds like you have un-clipped pipework in the walls, bad practice.
If it’s a stud wall, I have lessened this once by cutting out a section of head plate in the loft and sliding a length of 15/25 climaflex down the pipe.
Can you open up the other side of the wall?

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Is the shower head dripping when it's not on?

Tbh sounds like you need a new processor. Replaced a few myself, they usually go after about 10 years, that one my friend looks like it's way past that age.

 

[Timmy D]

Out of interest, can you test the shower on fully cold then fully hot and report?

 

[motomob]

Sounds like you have un-clipped pipework in the walls, bad practice.
If it’s a stud wall, I have lessened this once by cutting out a section of head plate in the loft and sliding a length of 15/25 climaflex down the pipe.
Can you open up the other side of the wall?

I think it was clipped. The hammering has been so bad in the past month that I think it has broken it. No access other than into the floor (tiled) or behind skirting boards hence the reason to stop this ASAP or face a broken wall or underfloor pipe, flooding and re decorating or worse.

 

[motomob]

Update: I managed to turn to the thermo down from 50 to 30. No change to the hammering.
Weirdly this also made no difference to the temp of hot water from hot water taps in the house which has always seemed too hot, near boiling temp.
I thought this change would reduce the hot water temp across all hot water taps?

The stop gap fix is still working, switch off shower and leap to the bathroom hot water tap and turn to full and the hammering goes within 2-3s.

 

[motomob]

Out of interest, can you test the shower on fully cold then fully hot and report?

Fully cold, 30-40s to reach pure cold temp, let run for 1 min, switch off, mild hammering for 2-3s then went away by itself.
Repeat for fully hot, same test, again mild hammering for 2-3s and went away by itself, no interaction needed to stop it.

Repeated a cold water test back to back with a cold test and the hammering is even less, maybe 1s max of hammering.
Same for hot test back to back so it does seem to be the mixing that is causing the air pockets and hammering? I guess if I could get the hot water temp down from the boiler somehow it might help or fix this which I thought the thermostat dial would do or is this just a faulty processor?

 

[Gasmk1]

Could you have a loose stop valve causing water hammer

 

[motomob]

Is the shower head dripping when it's not on?

Tbh sounds like you need a new processor. Replaced a few myself, they usually go after about 10 years, that one my friend looks like it's way past that age.

No consistent dripping. The shower head does always have a drop ready to drop though.

The age of the processor is 10+years. Found the manufacturing date, make that 2003! I think you may be right but just wanted to do as much amateur troubleshooting to make sure it is that before buying one and calling someone out to fit.

 

[motomob]

Could you have a loose stop valve causing water hammer

Good question. As far as I can see there are two in the kitchen and several on the boiler pipes but none seem loose.

Right now with the tests done I can only think it is a faulty processor (£££) due to the mixing but the fact there is still 2-3s of hammering even on pure cold or pure hot has me worried there is also a second fault like you mention a loose stop valve somewhere else I'm missing.

Time to call out a pro and supply the info and help you guys have given me. If it's a new processor it'll have to wait a while... but I will update the thread once they've been.

 

[Gasmk1]

Good question. As far as I can see there are two in the kitchen and several on the boiler pipes but none seem loose.

Right now with the tests done I can only think it is a faulty processor (£££) due to the mixing but the fact there is still 2-3s of hammering even on pure cold or pure hot has me worried there is also a second fault like you mention a loose stop valve somewhere else I'm missing.

Time to call out a pro and supply the info and help you guys have given me. If it's a new processor it'll have to wait a while... but I will update the thread once they've been.

you wouldn't be able to see its loose its the jumper inside that becomes loose

 

[motomob]

Hi all, once again thanks to everyone that replied. Problem resolved.

New Aqualisa A1 processor installed and no more shower hammering. Annoying it had to be the most expensive bit but glad I tried everyone's ideas first so I was 99% sure the replacement would fix it.