Did you try draining and recharging the air chambers first? Sometimes air pockets get absorbed over time, and a quick reset can save you from shelling out for arrestors. Might've been worth a shot before going all-in on hardware upgrades...
Honestly, I've tried the whole draining and recharging thing a couple times myself, and it was always hit or miss. Sometimes it quieted things down for a few weeks, other times it barely made a difference. Eventually, I just bit the bullet and installed arrestors—haven't had an issue since. Yeah, it cost a bit more upfront, but the peace and quiet was totally worth it.
But hey, if your pipes are finally behaving, that's what counts. Plumbing can be weirdly unpredictable like that...one person's quick fix is another person's weekend headache. Glad you got it sorted without too much hassle though. Enjoy the silence while it lasts, lol.
Yeah, draining and recharging can be a bit of a gamble—seen it work like magic one day and totally flop the next. Arrestors are definitely the reliable route, but hey, if your fix holds up, that's a win. Plumbing's basically voodoo sometimes...enjoy the quiet while you can.
I feel this on a personal level. A couple years back, I had this major battle with banging pipes that drove me nuts every morning. Tried the draining trick first because it seemed simple enough—worked beautifully for about two weeks, then bam, back to square one. Eventually caved and installed arrestors, and they've been rock-solid ever since. But plumbing really does feel like some kind of dark art sometimes. Even the pros I've talked to seem to have their own rituals and superstitions about what actually fixes things.
Funny enough, my neighbor swears by leaving faucets slightly open overnight whenever she has plumbing work done. Claims it "settles" the pipes or something. Sounds sketchy to me, but hey, her house is dead quiet, so maybe there's something to it?
Kinda makes me wonder—anyone ever notice if temperature changes make a difference in pipe noise? Mine always seemed louder in winter months, but I never could decide if it was just my imagination or not...
Honestly, I'm pretty skeptical about the faucet trick your neighbor mentioned. Leaving faucets open overnight sounds like a good way to rack up the water bill...but hey, if it works for her, who am I to judge? Plumbing logic defies me sometimes.
