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Banging in the night

Mark929
Mark929 Member Posts: 72
in THE MAIN WALL
Recent convert from oil to gas with a new Burnham steam system (good bye American Standard circ 1950).  With the installation 2 weeks ago the only drawback is the radiators banging like crazy. My installation rep thinks it better to let system get a few weeks of work and colder temps before ? draining system, etc. The noise is awaking us all at night and sounds like ratchets dropping inside, bolts being turned, and Halloween scary. Any advise on what i can do now for the noise? Should the company come down now and address the noise? There are only 7 radiators in the house. Thanks.

Comments

  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    Steam

    That is not normal and does not require any "breaking in" period. Can you post a few pictures of the boiler and piping? What pressure is the boiler set for?
  • Enreynolds
    Enreynolds Member Posts: 119
    You Might

    want to post this on the steam section, as there are a lot of great steam pros and knowledgeable home owners who hang out there.  A few things come to mind with your situation. First, did the installer clean and skim the boiler after it had run for  a couple of days.  A new install will scour thous old pipes and bring down a lot of crud, as well as oils from the boiler itself and the installers threading oil.  If the boiler is not properly cleaned and skimmed, you end up with "wet" steam, which can cause some of the problems you are experiencing.  It will also reduce the efficiency of your system.  Second, what pressure is your new boiler running at?  All residential steam heating systems installed after the early 1900's were required to heat on less than 2psi, with some exeptions.  Most systems run most effectivly on just ounces of pressure.  Third, there may be some problems with the installation of your near boiler piping.  Post to the strictly steam forum, where they will want to see pictures of your installation and radiators.  Take pictures from back away from the boiler, so piping can be traced.  Wallies can zoom in if they need more detail.  Take pictures of any "odd" cast iron fixtures that may be haning in the boiler room.  On radiators, try to get both ends, with a close up of pipes into the radiator.  Good luck

    Eric 
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