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Water hammering

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Valetta
Valetta Member Posts: 5
in Strictly Steam
One of the main return lines is having water hammering .

It's a two pipe system with stem traps on each return lines in basement. We drain them frequently . But this one seems to have an issue as condensate comes back to the boiler hammering the whole return line till the cycle finishes.

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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,344
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    Am I missing something?

    which is quite possible...



    Why are there steam traps on the returns?  Steam should never get into the returns on a two pipe system in the first place.  Air yes.  Condensate yes.  Steam, no.



    There should be some mechanism -- traps, orifices, patented gizmos -- on the radiation to keep steam from blowing through the radiation, but allowing water and air to get into the returns -- water, so it can get back to the boiler and air, so it can be vented.



    Can you provide more information about the rest of the system, and why the steam traps are needed on the returns?
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
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    Mystery steam in return lines

    Some defective radiator trap(s) must be allowing steam to get into the returns. You may be able to find the culprit by feeling the temperature of the risers, to find an unnaturally hot one and then checking the radiator traps feeding into it.

    This situation may also come about when the pressure becomes unnaturally high, causing some traps to fail.

    Get a good low pressure gauge(0-3 psi graduated in ounces), and you can see what's happening.--NBC
  • Valetta
    Valetta Member Posts: 5
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    Water hammering

    Trap is connected to both the supply and return lines .

    It catches the water left from the supply line after each cycle and supplies it to the return line. Steam trap is pitched toward the return line. Hammering only happening on mid cycle on the return line only .
  • Valetta
    Valetta Member Posts: 5
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    Steam trap replaced

    Due to hammering in return line steam trap had been changed and it's all smooth sailing.took apart old trap which was full of rust particles and also took the strainer out which was full of rust and stones.i assume that all 16 traps should be looked at and strainers cleaned out as maintenance through out the years...
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