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If you hear a loud bang or thump every time your washing machine valve shuts off, your dishwasher finishes filling, or you turn off a faucet quickly — that’s water hammer. It’s not just annoying; over time it stresses pipe joints, loosens connections, and can cause failures. An inexpensive arrestor installed on the supply line eliminates it entirely. Here’s what to buy.
Older house with capped stub pipes instead? Air chambers vs arrestors.
| Product | Best For | Price tier |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Chief 660-GTR1B MiniRester | Best at a Supply Stop | Lowest |
| Sioux Chief 653-B Hydra-Rester | Best Overall | Mid |
| SharkBite UR22632 Water Hammer Arrestor | Best Easy Install | Highest |
Best at a Supply Stop: Sioux Chief 660-GTR1B
ANSI/ASSE 1010 certified · sealed piston design · permanently sealed air cushion (not rechargeable) · 3/8 in O.D. female compression × 3/8 in O.D. compression
Check the Sioux Chief 660-GTR1B price on Amazon →
Quick-closing fixture valves are the usual source of water hammer, and at a sink or toilet the fix goes in at the shutoff. The Sioux Chief 660-GTR1B is a MiniRester compression tee — a 3/8 in O.D. female compression inlet and a 3/8 in O.D. compression outlet — so it installs directly to a supply stop, between the stop and the fixture riser. Sioux Chief’s own instruction for the compression models is explicit: do not use pipe dope on the compression threads. Note that this is not the washing machine part. For a hose-thread washing machine connection Sioux Chief makes a separate MiniRester, the 660-H series, and this listing is not it.
- ✅ Installs directly to a supply stop — no soldering
- ✅ Sealed piston design — maintenance-free
- ✅ ANSI/ASSE 1010 certified
- ❌ 3/8 in compression only — not a washing machine hose-thread part
- ❌ Do not use pipe dope on the compression threads
- It is certified to the ANSI/ASSE 1010 standard, the recognized benchmark for water hammer arrestors.
- The piston permanently separates the air cushion from the water, so the cushion cannot waterlog the way an open air chamber does.
- Sioux Chief’s arresters may be installed at any angle and are approved for installation with no access panel required.
- The sealed air chamber is not field-rechargeable, so a failed unit must be replaced rather than serviced.
- It protects a single connection point rather than a whole branch line.
- Connection type varies across the MiniRester line, so you must match the exact part number to your connection — this one is 3/8 in compression.
Verdict: Best at a sink or toilet supply stop, where the compression-tee body drops in between the stop and the fixture riser.
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Best Overall: Sioux Chief 653-B Hydra-ResterEditor’s Choice
ANSI/ASSE 1010 certified · lifetime cycle-tested to 10,000 shock cycles · 3/4 in male threaded (MIP) ends · fits a 2×4 wall cavity
Check the Sioux Chief 653-B Hydra-Rester price on Amazon →
The Sioux Chief Hydra-Rester is the trade-standard sealed-piston arrester — the same family as the 660-GTR1B above, sized for a whole branch rather than a single appliance. Sioux Chief cycle-tests it to 10,000 shock cycles without failure, and its 3/4 in male threaded (MIP) ends screw into any standard 3/4 in female threaded fitting. It fits inside a standard 2×4 wall cavity, which is what makes it practical mid-run rather than only at the fixture.
- ✅ Trade standard — the same brand as the 660-GTR1B above
- ✅ ANSI/ASSE 1010 certified
- ✅ Cycle-tested to 10,000 shocks
- ✅ Fits a 2×4 wall cavity
- ❌ Male threaded (MIP) ends — not a push-to-connect part
- It is certified by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering to ANSI/ASSE 1010, the benchmark standard for water hammer arresters.
- Sioux Chief lifetime cycle-tested it to 10,000 shock cycles without failure.
- Its 3/4 in male threaded (MIP) ends screw into any standard female threaded fitting, and it fits inside a 2×4 wall cavity.
- The air chamber is sealed and not rechargeable in the field, so a depleted unit must be replaced.
- Its male threaded (MIP) ends thread into a tee or adapter, rather than pushing on.
- It is a branch-sized arrester, so it is more part than a single appliance needs on its own.
Verdict: Best overall, combining ANSI/ASSE 1010 certification, cycle testing to 10,000 shock cycles, and 3/4 in male threaded ends that install without soldering.
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Best Easy Install: SharkBite Water Hammer Arrestor
push-to-connect (no solder/glue/crimp) · 3/4 in size · lead-free DZR brass body · ASSE 1010 and ASSE 1061 certified · rated 200 psi / 180F · fits PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT Push-fit makes this the easiest install of the three — just mount it somewhere you can reach it. Like any push-to-connect fitting, it does not belong sealed behind drywall.
Check the SharkBite Water Hammer Arrestor price on Amazon →
SharkBite’s push-connect version of a water hammer arrestor installs without any soldering or threading — just push it onto copper, PEX, or CPVC pipe. Best for homeowners who want to install it inline on a supply branch without cutting into threaded connections.
- ✅ Push-connect — no soldering
- ✅ Works on copper, PEX, CPVC
- ✅ Can be installed anywhere on a supply line
- ❌ Higher cost than threaded versions
- The push-to-connect ends install with no soldering, glue, crimping, or special tools.
- It is certified to both ASSE 1010 for water hammer and ASSE 1061 for the push-fit connection.
- The single fitting works across PEX, copper, CPVC, and PE-RT pipe, so it suits most home repipes.
- Push-to-connect fittings carry a higher per-unit cost than a simple threaded arrestor.
- As a tee-style fitting it must be plumbed inline, meaning you cut into the pipe rather than thread onto a valve.
- The lead-free brass body is rated to 200 psi, lower than some heavy-duty commercial copper units.
Verdict: Best for easy installs, adding water-hammer protection in minutes with push-to-connect ends and no soldering.
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Where and How to Install
Install the arrestor on the supply line as close to the problem valve as possible. At a sink or toilet: fit the compression-tee MiniRester directly to the supply stop, between the stop and the fixture riser. For other locations: install inline on the supply branch serving the problem fixture, ideally within 6 feet of the valve.
- Shut off the supply water.
- For threaded installation: wrap Teflon tape on the arrestor threads and thread into the tee or connection point.
- For SharkBite installation: cut the pipe cleanly, deburr the end, push the arrestor on.
- Turn water back on and test — the banging should be completely gone.
Plumber’s tip: If water hammer is occurring throughout the house (not just at one fixture), the cause may be high water pressure rather than a specific valve. Test your pressure first — if it’s above 80 PSI, a pressure reducing valve (PRV) may be a more effective solution than multiple arrestors.
FAQ
Do water hammer arrestors wear out?
The sealed piston design in quality arrestors (Sioux Chief, Watts) is built for a lifetime of use — Sioux Chief lifetime cycle-tests its arresters to 10,000 shock cycles — and under normal residential use they essentially never wear out. If water hammer returns years after installing an arrestor, check your water pressure first.
Can I install a water hammer arrestor myself?
Yes — the threaded versions screw on with just Teflon tape and a wrench. The SharkBite version requires no tools at all. This is one of the easier plumbing improvements you can make.
I have an air chamber in my wall. Is that the same thing?
Air chambers (a vertical capped pipe on the supply line) were the old method — they work initially but the air gradually gets absorbed by the water and they stop working. A mechanical water hammer arrestor with a sealed piston is the modern, permanent solution.
Bottom Line
For a banging sink or toilet, the Sioux Chief 660-GTR1B fits straight onto the supply stop. For other locations, the Sioux Chief 653-B Hydra-Rester is the trade standard. One cheap part and 15 minutes ends a problem that can otherwise cause real plumbing damage over time.
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