Banging pipes may rupture. Am I liable?

[mamamia2]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

We live in a 4-year old condominium. Our unit is on the top, 6th floor. A year ago we started hearing loud knocking in the walls associated with opening or shutting off cold water faucets (ours, but also others'), which is called "water hammering" by the pros. My online research is pointing to an issue with air in the system, that naturally travels to the upper floors, but also telling me that eventually, if this is not taken care of, there will be a rupture of water pipes in the walls, which -- as one can imagine -- can lead to a major disaster.....

Problem is, our Association Board is reluctant to address the issue. At one time, after I put a lot of pressure on them, they called our HVAC guys who drained the system, but did it the wrong way (there's a certain way of doing it, I learned online), and the banging reappeared the next morning....

I am concerned that, once there is a pipe rupturing, not only we will be flooded, but also, since the pipe behind my bathroom is considered mine, and not common property --- AM I RIGHT? --- in case of a rupture in that pipe, we (and our insurance company) will be held liable for the damage to the units under ours....

I was thinking of writing an official letter to the Board, telling them to take care of this matter -- or I will be relieving myself from any liability in case of damage to units below, in case the above scenario happens....

Am I making sense?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[FarmerJ]

Have you consulted with a plumber to learn what the cost would be to add water hammer arrestors to the lines ?

 

[FlyingRon]

Calling HVAC guys in to look at a plumbing problem would be like asking your dentist about a cardiac condition.

First off, I think you're overblowing the problem. Water hammer is not going to yield anything other than an annoyance. Pipes aren't suddenly going to burst unless there's something else wrong. Air in the lines doesn't cause it. It is caused by pipes not well secured coupled with abrupt closure of a valve.

Draining the system only helps if you have the simple hammer arresters of sticking a stub of a pipe above the fixture. These will *ALWAYS* eventually have the air in them dissolved and they will fill with water to become useless.
Draining the system will restore things temporarily.

The best bet (short of fixing the lose pipes) is to find the fixtures that cause the problem (clothes washers are usually the worst) and putting arresters with bladders in there to get things at the source.

As for your liability, if the pipes are in a common part, then it wouldn't be your fault. If it's in your unit, you might.

 

[mamamia2]

Thanks for your feedback:

Since the building was built 4-5 years ago, I believe the arrestors were suppose to be installed per our local building codes.

I agree that an HVAC company is not the right one to deal with plumbing issues. Unfortunately, these days ours, like many condo assoc. boards prefer to use ONE company to cover all issues, especially when so many -- if not all -- HVAC companies are claiming themselves to be also plumbing experts....

I'm not a plumbing expert. All I know is from talking to a couple plumbers, and from reading on line. The banging occurs when --- unless VERY slowly --- we open or turn off a cold water faucet. It also occurs sometimes when cold water running and the hot water faucet is turned on.

Also, if this helps, our builder has equipped all units with REAR-FLUSHING TOILETS that are powered by "Sloan Flushmate"...

Seems to me that only us at the TOP FLOOR can hear those banging, since nobody in the lower floors was complaining....

Believe me, I'd like VERY much to believe that this is merely an annoyance and won't cause rupture and flooding.... But from what I read, it WILL eventually if left untreated.

Some of the faucets are on walls inside our unit, some are on walls which are shared between ours and the neighbor's unit. What I'm concerned about -- beside the damage to our unit caused by a rupture -- is that the units under us will see us a liable, not the association. That's why I am frustrated that the Board is doing nothing to really solve this issue -- but the liability in case of rupture -- will be on us....