Water hammer is most likely caused by:

• A. Dissolved Gases In The Water
• B. Closing A Valve Too Fast
• C. Tuberculation
• D. A Ruptured Water Line

Answer: (B)

Water hammer is a transient pressure surge that happens when moving water is forced to stop abruptly. Water has inertia, and the pipe walls are elastic, so when a valve shuts quickly, the flowing water cannot instantly come to rest. The momentum of the water pushes against the valve and pipe, creating a pressure wave that travels through the system. That sudden spike in pressure can cause loud banging, movement of pipes, and even damage if the system isn’t designed to absorb it. The most appropriate cause is closing a valve too fast, because that action directly triggers the rapid rise in pressure. Dissolved gases don’t create that abrupt surge, tuberculation affects friction and flow over time rather than causing a sudden pressure spike, and a ruptured line is typically a possible result of severe hammering rather than the initiating cause.