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Water hammer

When water velocity in a flowing pipeline changes abruptly the pressure will spike so high that it can cause entire pipelines to explode, implode, or otherwise break. Water doesn't compress, is heavy, and has a lot of momentum at high velocities. Pipes with water running at high velocities are therefore at much higher risk for bursting due to water hammer. The bottom line is to open and close valves slowly and don't let water hit the end of a closed pipeline at high velocities.

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  • Part of Speech: noun
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  • Industry/Domain: Agriculture
  • Category: Irrigation
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