Need advice on problem that has everyone I call stumped! Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

Jamesdavid7

I'm writing looking for any advice on an issue that has been ongoing for about 3 weeks, called 3 plumbers, an engineer and the service guys under warranty. No one knows whats the problem and no one can offer any direction, hence I'm seeing if this thread can raise anything....

The problem started with me hearing a loud slamming sound in my house. I own a 3 family house with a water heating system. At first we thought it was the 2nd and 3rd floor tenants but after that was ruled out everyone we spoke to said it was the boiler.

The slams sound like someone is dropping an Olympic size barbell on the floor. The sound is heard throughout the house and I've seen the doors shake a little bit from the vibration. It's really loud, like someone jumping off a bunkbed to theat wooden floor. Anyways, everyone told me a different story.

The boiler seems to work normally. It lights as it is supposed to with no delay. We've found theach pressure to be around 40psi and drained water until it went down to arounces 20, since then it's been maintaining pressure. The thing is the slams come at random times of the day, usually morning or night, but never at the time the thermostat is set to kick in.

Thinking the slamming sound is from the boiler is speculation. We can't think of anything else that could cause such a loud roaring sound. My tenants think the house is going to collapse.

If anyone can offer any help it would be more than appreciated, thank you all.

gschallert

You might want to read thru all the topic I linked below....if it's delayed ignition the noise you're hearing is mini explosion


https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1452260#Comment_1452260

john walsh_2

Does it happen every single day since it started? If so, maybe you can turn the boiler off for a few hours at a time and see if the banging stops. If you hear it with the boiler off, then you know that it's not the boiler.

Ironman

We really need more info about your system: boiler make and model; is it zoned with pumps or zone valves; how it's piped and controlled. Some pics of the boiler and it's near piping would be very helpful.

hot_rod

A weightlifter living upstairs?

Paul48

As was done in that other post.....putting a camera on the boiler is very smart. I'd suggest you do that.

Fred

What about the water heater(s)? Is this natural gas or oil or what?

EBEBRATT-Ed

almost sounds like delayed ignition problem although you would probably see some evidence of that. Have you seen any water around the boiler??

JUGHNE

Do you have a mechanical room with boiler or water heaters and a door on it?
Watching a burner light with that door open may be different than if it is closed......air to establish draft up chimney may be different.
Some thermostats will start to heat before the set time.

Water heaters can start anytime.

Zman

How old is the house and when did the problem start?

If it happens on a regular basis, you could turn off systems in the house until the problem stops.
Turning of the water main for a while would assure it wasn't water hammer from your house or the city system. Do you have a well?
Turning off the boiler would eliminate the possibility of boiler issues.
Another thought is that it could be a result of thermal expansion within the building. I have heard tremendous noises caused by building materials with different expansion rates build pressure then release like a mini earth quake.

HEATthis

I had a similar call and it turned out to be the high limit failed and whenever the zone called long enough the boiler would run up to and beyond 220 degrees and the expansion tank would "hammer" and pipes all through the house would bang rather loudly

Zman

@Jamesdavid7
Lot's of good thoughts here.
Don't tell me it's "one and done"..

EBEBRATT-Ed

Hope we don't see this one on the news.

scottnjr

I had a call just like this and it turned out to be the guy's subwoofer on his home theatre randomly booming. Caused me a lot of headaches.

HVACNUT

Had one once, very loud beeping coming from oil boiler. "Sir, there's no alarms or anything on the system that will make an audible beep."
"But that's the only thing it could be. Locate it and fix it."
"Sir?"
"No, its coming from..."
"Sir?"
If you can't fix it..."
"Sir?"
BEEEEP!!!!
Off to my right, behind a shelf is his Verizon home cable hook up with 12v backup battery and low charge indicator.
"Sir, that'll be $155.00 +tax."

aircooled81

Anything dripping from the pressure relief or associated piping?

stopgogo

ummm water hammer? 40 psi is plenty to do some damage incase your traps are not working properly

bob eck

Some where on this website in the past a home owner was having the same problem. The home owner solved it by putting a video camera on the boiler and it caught delayed ignition and big time flame roll out with loud explosion.

Fred

Here is the link to the video:
https://ivdn.tv/wE9JC9

And the link to that discussion:
http://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/160155/boiler-makes-loud-thump

j a_2

Second floor newly weds, been know to make bangs...just thinking ha ha

ST

The problem sounds line water hammer when a zone valve closes quickly. The water velocity hitting the fast closing zone valve can make a hell of a racket.
You can remove one spring on Honeywell zone valves to prevent it from closing too fast.

edbradbury

My guess is water hammer too. Is there a working expansion tank on the system? Random hammer could be zone valves shutting off. Is the boiler loop separate from the heating loop?

CharlesDeyoeJr

I know this is an Older post and after Reading all the comments and having 35 years getting No heat calls and 2 nd options for problems like this I would have to agree the problem is either Domestic water hammer or water hammer from a Honeywell zone valve but hearing that the PSI was 40 that is 10 lbs over the safety valve limit so that makes one wonder if its a compound problem caused by anything as simple as a copper pipe not secure or touching another pipe so the complete system needs someone that knows what too look for. Let us know if the problem is fixed and what you found.

newagedawn

how many btu's is the boiler? how big is the main pipe that comes out of the boiler? how many zones do you have? are they zone valves ,circulated zones
i had a service call this winter and the guy had 3 zone valves with one circ, which is fine,but he only had a 1" pipe coming out of the boiler and heating basics 101 tells us that a 1" pipe can only carry 80,000 btus which is basically 2 zones not three, everytime one zone valve closed it banged loudly from the force of the water slamming against the valve when it closed,.....i even said to the guy you have problems heating your house, he said how did you know and explained to him what i just did to you,......his wife wants me to fix the job, i know this is correct and accurate so they will think im a hero when all thier zones work and no more LOUD BANG in the PIPES