help with steam hammer

bdg0506

We live in the basement of a co-op in Manhattan.  We have a single pipe system, with the pipes running along the ceiling of our apartment.  There has been a hammer problem since we lived here, but it only seems to affect us, not anyone upstairs.  It seems pretty obvious exactly where it is occuring, at the first corner in the pipe after it leaves the boiler. The only possible solution I've heard suggested is adding a condensation tank...very expensive and supposedly may not fix it???  Also co-op board has no interest in fixing this, so at this point it is on me to fix it.  Any ideas...what about the pitch of the pipes running along our ceiling??  Also, any recommendations for good honest professionals would be greatly appreciated.  

Jamie Hall

Just to get things started...

and you thinking some more!  One pipe steam. 



Is the hammer occuring right when the boiler starts, or very soon afterwards?  Or much later in the cycle?



How are the pipes pitched?  Back towards the boiler?  Away from the boiler?  Is the pitch -- either way -- even?  No sags or low spots?  Those can cause a lot of trouble.



Has this started recently?  Or has it been there since you've been there?  If it started recently, did anything change just before it started?



For good honest professionals, try "Find a Professional" on this site, searching by state -- the zip code function doesn't always behave.

Unknown

Water Hammer

You mentioned that you have a single pipe steam system and the hammer is coming from the "first corner as it leaves the boiler". What size is this pipe and is it the main steam pipe? Which way does the pipe slope?- towards or away from the boiler?  You need to have constant slope as the condensate(water) has to be able to drain away. What the probable cause of the hammer is condensate (water) pooling and then this causes the steam to collapse. You need to look for sags in the pipe or at corner and eliminate them. Also check and see that the corner is insulated as a cold spot might also be the cause of a steam collapse. To find a steam pro use the "Find a Professional" at the top of this page and scroll down to "States" and see if you can find a pro near you. The zipcode find function sometimes doesn't work well. You can also let us know your location and maybe someone will know of a steam pro near you. It might also help if you posted a picture of the trouble area.

- Rod

bdg0506

The hammer...

is occurring when the boiler starts.  The pipes are basically level.  There is, however, a sag (meaning it is pitched away from the boiler slightly) at the corner where the hammer is occurring.  I guess it's obvious this is part of the problem.  The hammer has happened since we lived here.  The pipe is 4 inches diameter.  How big of a job is it to pitch the pipe??  

bdg0506

The pipe is

4 inches diameter.  It is the main steam pipe.  It's basically level but has a slight sag at the corner where the hammer occurs. Seems obvious this is the problem, right?  Although there could be other issues also, correct?  We are in New York City in Manhattan.