Water Hammers

NewCondoOwner

I just moved into a condo that was originally constructed in 1905. We moved in in August so we didn't turn the heat on for the first time until probably late November. When we did, we noticed some pretty significant water hammers. From reading some of the previous posts, I am thinking this is caused by a lack of insulation on the main pipes and water colliding with steam caused by incorrect pitching in the pipes. I am confident that I can insulate the pipes, but how do I correct the pitch?

I've also noticed water leaking out of my second floor bathroom radiator and I am wondering if this also has to do with poor pitch. My radiators are not free standing, however, they are wall mounted. How would I correct the pitch (if that's the problem) to prevent the water from leaking.

nicholas bonham-carter

noisy condo

i presume you have a steam system, but is it 1-pipe or 2-pipe. were these problems evident last winter? does this system serve the whole building?

i would start by looking at the boiler first. it is unlikely that the wall mounted radiators have changed their pitch.

post some pictures here of the piping above the boiler, and see when maintenance was last done. if the boiler has been replaced recently, the piping may be incorrect, allowing water to shoot up into the pipes all the way to the 2nd floor. possibly the pressure of the steam is elevated because of a clogged pigtail. only a few ounces of pressure are needed to get the steam into the radiators, as long as the air vents on the main pipes are allowing the air to escape. unfortunately, the 0-30 psi gauge you have [even if working] is useless for diagnosis.

i also suggest you get some steam books from the shop here so that you can diagnose any problems you may have, and possibly make repairs yourself.--nbc

NewCondoOwner

Water Hammers

You'll have to forgive me because this is all new to me. What I do know is that I have a Burnham Independence Steam boiler that is used solely for my unit. I'm not sure if the water hammers were present last winter, we hadn't moved into the unit yet. When you say one pipe vs two pipe, do you mean are there separate pipes for steam coming into and then out of the radiator? If that's the case, I'm not sure, but I think it's one. I can check later today for clarification and also add pictures. I read my manual and it said the psi should not exceed 15. Is there a way to check this if the gauge on the side is not reliable? Thanks for the feedback.

Jamie Hall

In fact...

the psi should not exceed 2 -- and preferably even lower than that, if the boiler control (pressuretrol) can manage it.

Rod

Get The Book!

Hi- Residential steam systems run at under 2 PSI and some run much lower than that. (the lower pressure = better operation)  The 15 PSI is probably referring to the safety valve which on residential boilers is set (required) to open at 15 PSI.

If it is the original piping, the chances are that your piping is fine as the "Dead Men" that put in the original piping generally knew what they were doing.

What I would recommend to you is to get a book that is available in the Shop section of this website The book is called : "We Got Steam Heat!" Here is a link to it:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/products/Steam-Heating-Books/25/61/We-Got-Steam-Heat-A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Peaceful-Coexistence

It's written especially for the homeowner new to steam heating. It's east reading and crammed full of facts and pictures of how your steam system works.

- Rod

nicholas bonham-carter

max psi

1-pipe systems have 1 pipe going into the radiator, and 2-pipe systems have one pipe on each end of the radiator. on 1-pipe systems, the shutoff valve should be open all the way.

the boiler is rated for 15 psi, as a maximum, but the regular pressure should not exceed 1.s psi [for basic functionality], but a couple of ounces will work better, and the gauge you probably have is 0-30 psi which is useless for diagnosis.

if the boiler has not been serviced in the last year, it would be wise to have it done by a professional steam man. some are listed by state on the find a contractor section here. if you can be there with him, he can show you various maintenance procedures you can do yourself[blowing down the lwco, etc.]--nbc

Abracadabra

hammer

When does the hammer occur? Early in cycle, mid-cycle, or end of cycle?







Check all radiators to make sure they are pitched toward the pipe.

Make sure all valves are fully open.  You cannot control steam using the valve.  It's either all on or all off.