Noisy pipe

ansky

I have a 3rd floor bedroom that is heated by a 1-pipe radiator.  The steam pipe starts out horizontal in a 2nd floor bedroom (after it comes up from the basement), then runs up a staircase at about a 60-degree angle (very steep staircase), then levels off back to horizontal once it reaches the top of the stairs on the 3rd floor.  The problem I have is once the steam reaches the point where it gets to the top of the 3rd floor stairs, I get very noisy hammering for about 30 seconds.  What can be done to fix this?

Jamie Hall

The most likely problem

is the pitch of the pipe at the top of the 3rd floor stairs.  Make sure that that pipe isn't really horizontal -- it must pitch up towards the radiator at a good 1/2" per foot.  So should the one on the second floor.