Water Hammer in steam pipe above boiler shuts boiler off when steam begins to go up in steam pipe

jovo37

Hello, thank you in advance for taking time out and looking at my issue. I have a 1 year old Weil Mcclein steam boiler. I recently just started hearing a water hammer in the steam pipe above the boiler when the steam starts to go up into the pipes for the radiators. The hammer just started after a month of use. It will bang for a few seconds, and when it does the Boiler will shut off, when this happens I shut heat off and put it back on using the thermostat and it resumes and seems to run fine after that. What could my issues be? Thank you.

psb75

You'll get quick answers if you supply good pictures of the piping above and around your boiler. Mo' pictures and information = mo' bettah answers.

jovo37

Photos of near boiler piping

ethicalpaul

My opinion is that due to incorrect boiler piping (it’s quite incorrect) the boiler is throwing a lot of water into your main and triggering a low water condition stopping the firing cycle.

Hap_Hazzard

Where's the equalizer?

jovo37

Is it difficult to repipe it correctly for a competent plumber

Danny Scully

Where are you located @jovo37?

jovo37

Brooklyn ny @Danny Scully

Fred

It is piped so wrong but hammer occurs when water is pooled somewhere, typically in the area where the hammer originates. If this is a one year old boiler, I'd have someone with real steam knowledge come in and pipe it correctly. Get your Owner/Installation manual out and look at the manufacture's recommended minimum piping configuration.
Has the boiler ever been skimmed? What is the Pressuretrol set at?

jovo37

Pressuretrol set at 1.5, it’s been skimmed in the past

Fred

jovo37 said:

Pressuretrol set at 1.5, it’s been skimmed in the past

The scale on the front of the Pressuretrol should be set to .5 PSI and the white wheel (Differential) inside the unit should be set to "1" for a total Cut-Out pressure of 1.5 PSI.

STEAM DOCTOR

> @jovo37 said:
> Is it difficult to repipe it correctly for a competent plumber

Certainly can be done. Not a small job. Is there anywaythat you can get the original installer back and have him repipe correctly? The current piping is an abomination.

JUGHNE

Water thrown up into piping....auto feeder comes on and shoots cold water into the top of hot boiler....could it flash to steam raising the pressure and shutting down by pressure control??
Just a theory.....

Or water leaves and LWCO shuts boiler down, auto feeder might come on....but eventually the boiler would be over filled/flooded.
Then pressure control would shut down quickly.

The entire install reminds me of the Larry, Moe and Joe plumbing show.
Could we get a picture of the side of the boiler where the gas pipe is. The returns must be all there.

mikeg2015

> @jovo37 said:
> Is it difficult to repipe it correctly for a competent plumber

At a glance it should be hard to convert to a drop header. It should go up off the boiler elbow hard 180 defeats to plot down then right angle towards the two mains. Connect those with tees then 90 over to the equalizer

Most plumbers won’t touch boilers and just have no experience. But yes they can do the pipe fitting work.

Knowing HOW and knowing WHAT to do are completely different things.

jovo37

Competent Plumber after calling electrician friend came needed another skimming and changed angle a pipe on the return.

ethicalpaul

jovo37 said:

Competent Plumber after calling electrician friend came needed another skimming and changed angle a pipe on the return.

Did Competent Plumber have anything to say about your near-boiler piping?

Hap_Hazzard

ethicalpaul said:

Did Competent Plumber have anything to say about your near-boiler piping?