If you live in a building and hear marbles, this is why... and it's not your neighbor.

On many occasions, especially in buildings, it happens that—in the midst of silence—a loud sound like rolling marbles breaks into the place, as if it were several of these spheres that the neighbors had dropped on the ground.

Although this can also happen to those who live in a house, it's not the neighbors, and it doesn't involve any marbles. It's something called water hammer, and it has to do with pipes and the water flowing through them. See more: The Business Note: Why do offices have cubicles? This is their curious origin.

Water hammer " is a sudden increase in pressure in a pipe caused by a rapid change in flow rate. This phenomenon occurs if a liquid circulating in a closed system is forced to stop abruptly or change direction ," according to the burket.es website.

This pressure shock " spreads throughout the system and multiplies initially, causing a pressure increase to a limiting range that is no longer admissible for the components. Furthermore, the flow velocity is multiplied, which can reach up to 1200 m/s under unfavorable conditions ."

See more: Driving licenses in Colombia: the changes that this document would have​ In this way, explains the aforementioned portal, the pressure shock frequently involves " vibrations or a knocking noise that is repeated before the pressure drops. This is why, sometimes, it is also referred to as a hydraulic ram ."

Why does that sound occur?

Burket points out that this phenomenon can be caused by various reasons, such as rapid valve opening and closing, " rapid pump startup or shutdown, excessively rapid closing of check valves, and sudden power outages ." It can also be caused by " disconnection of the water column or pressure buffer, which favors its formation ." See more: World food prices rose in June due to higher prices for dairy products, meat, and oils.

In this regard, they explain that the design has a direct influence on the occurrence of water hammer; the risk increases especially in systems with large height differences (which makes it common in buildings) , because "higher pressures are required to overcome them."

This could be prevented in bathroom pipes by installing pressure control devices or using slow-closing valves , according to Ferrolan, because these prevent the sudden stoppage of water flow.

See more: Colombian Biomaterials: Projects Transform Waste into Industrial Products​ You can also choose to turn off faucets gently, avoiding sudden changes in the water flow. And, on the other hand, although it might be more expensive, the entire pipe could be replaced to avoid "water hammer." This would eliminate unnecessary bends that " encourage sudden changes in the direction of the water ."

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