Steam Heat Water Hammer

Joe Randazzo

Ken:

I appreciate your quick reply. I will check out further tonight after I get home from work and let you know.

Joe

Joe Randazzo

WATER HAMMER IN STEAM HEAT

I am expieriencing water hammer under the floor downline (about 2-3 feet) from a second floor radiator. Weil-Mclain steam boiler about 20 years old. Hammer starts after about 1/2 hour after start-up. When I blow down the system I am getting green water out that looks like antifreeze. It is slowly diluting and getting clearer. This is the first winter I've owned the home. I was told that after the brown water passes I should have almost clear water, not green. Could someone have put antifreeze in the system? Any help/thoughts would be apprectiated. I did have a heating contractor to the home but I'm not sure he was a help. A leaking cap was replaced and I was told my automatic feet did not work so I have to manually add water. He wanted $1200 to replace the feed. I was not comfortable with this contractor so I paid him for work done and thought I would get more informed before proceeding any further.

Ken_40

Joe,

The green tint is probably a rust inhibitor, which may be a good thing. If too much is put in, it can cause priming and surging and result in banging and hammer.

When the boiler is steaming or about to steam, does the water level in the gage glass "bounce" more than one full inch plus AND minus? If so, the rust inhibitor may be too concentrated.

Of course it is possible some moron did put anti-freeze in the boiler under the notion that it would protect the boiler and below water-line water from freezing? I hope not.

I would think simpy loking for a 2" total bounce while steaming will tell all.

If it's AF in there, it'll bounce a lot more than 2" total!

Let us know what you find/see and we can go from there.

One last thing. What kind of pressures do you see on the gage? None? A pound or two? Over 2?

Joe Randazzo

Ken:
Water bounces about 1/2 inch in both directions. Steam pressure is ZERO. What next? Should I replace the bleeder valve on the radiator and/or drain the system and re-fill?
Thanks.
Joe

Peter Zelchenko

Green tint rust inhibitor

Ken/Joe....I believe the green tint rust inhibitor is a product called "Steam master" made by Rectorseal (Unless your system). Green to yellow supposedly means protected and PH is dead on.....pinkish to red means PH is off and water is dirty....hope that helps.