Knocking and hammering

jwhite

I have a customer who called because her steam boiler is noisy. 1 of my co workers went to her house and drained the boiler then added squick (which I've never heard of) to the system to clean it out. A couple of weeks later another coworker went back and drained the system again and then added squick again. I was then sent out after a couple of weeks to drain the system again. The customer has called and asked if she should have her steam traps replaced because the noise has come back. I am not sure what to suggest any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you

Jamie Hall

Well...

Squick and draining is all very fine, but it isn't going to solve the problem.



Which sounds like water hammer, which is caused by water (usually condensate) getting stuck in steam mains (or, occasionally, returns) where it shouldn't be.



It would help if we knew if this were one pipe or two pipe steam, but while you are getting that information, here are some starters.



First, check the pressure on the boiler.  Regardless of whether it's one pipe or two pipe or vapour, it should never go over 2 psi, and 1.5 psi is better if you can persuade the pressuretrol to go that low (not all of them will).  If it's vapour, it will need to be much lower still -- but we'll get to that later.  While you're at it, make sure that the pressuretrol is actually working to shut off the system.  It wouldn't hurt to take the pigtail off the boiler and clean it, and the opening in the boiler, out so that it is free.



Then, start working your way from the boiler outwards.  What you are looking for is all steam pipes must pitch so that condensate which forms in them can make its way back to the boiler.  In some one pipe systems the pipes pitch back to the boiler; in others, and in almost all two pipe systems, they will pitch away from the boiler and eventually find a "drip" down to a wet return, and then back to the boiler.  Runouts to individual risers or radiators must all pitch back to the steam main.  It's not just end to end; check every foot of every pipe for sags and dips.



You might also take and send along a few pictures of the near boiler piping.  Some installations are such that that piping can cause "wet" steam -- steam with a lot of water droplets in it -- which doesn't help at all.



Anyway.  There are some things to start on.  When you can, get back and tell us more details about the system.

Mark N

Hammer time

JWhite since you do this for a living it would be a wise investment to buy "The Lost Art Of Steam Heat" and "A Pocketful of Steam Problems". This small investment will pay itself back many times.

jwhite

Thank You

this is a 2 pipe system. I will have to go back to the customers house and reassess the piping and take some pictures.

jwhite

Wise investment

I have contemplated buying those books as well as others from Dan. But I don't run into steam very often, although it seams like lately I have been seeing more steam systems.

nicholas bonham-carter

Life after Squick

Since this is a 2-pipe system, then the next area to examine would be the traps. They should not be steam hot on the discharge side. There are probably crossover traps as well which should also be found and checked. New trap elements could be ordered from one of several suppliers to save the ordeal of having to change the spuds.

I second the advice to get the steam books here.

Don't forget the pictures, although I am thinking that this is a case of sudden trap failure, unless you can see some change which has been recently made.--NBC

jwhite

Knocking and Hammering II

I have finally been able to return to the customers house for further investigation. I am including pictures of the piping and boiler. In the interim I have ordered the books suggested, but from what I saw with the piping everything does fall back towards the boiler. I did see some piping techniques I am not familiar with such as the two loops that drop to the floor where the supply and return pipes connect..I am not that familiar with steam piping as I have not run into much steam over the years. Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again James White