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expansion noise or water hammer?

nysteam
nysteam Member Posts: 4
Hello,
We have subletters in our apartment complaining of late night noise in the bedroom riser. (building is ground floor of a 6 story nyc apt., steam heat). They sent this video of the noise that occurs each night at fairly regular intervals, we think at the beginning of a heating cycle.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CS69WNp5VdQ

Can anyone tell if it is water hammer or pipe expansion? if it is pipe expansion, what are they typical points a pipe would catch in a ground floor apt. floorboards of course, but anything below that or in the basement? can someone explain the trick using a shim cut from a plastic milk jug? where should it go?

Finally, does anyone have experience with sound proofing a riser like this? Obviously it would be a bandaid, but I'd like to give them some relief while we get to the root of things.

Additional details:
-noise comes from the floor, not ceiling.
-upstairs neighbors say they have no problem, but unclear if riser is in their bedroom where they would notice.
-tenants report no difference if the radiator in that room is open or closed.
-tenants say it got worse after there was a boiler repair at the beginning of november, but that's also the beginning of the heating season, so who knows.
-super is helpful, but hasn't improved the situation in a few weeks. I gather they have tried draining water from the radiator and cleaning the trap.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,298
    If the pipe is rubbing where it comes up through the floorboards a milk bottle is cut up and wrap the plastic around the pipe and slide it down between the pipe and the floor boards.
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 9,161
    Video is private, I was unable to see it

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

  • nysteam
    nysteam Member Posts: 4
    @EdTheHeaterMan thanks for noticing. should be public now.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,240
    An easy way to figure out if it's expansion noises is to push on the pipe side to side as it's doing it.
    This helps it move and should change the sound, making it do it less loud but more all at once. You should be able to tell easily.

    In my experience this is often done with you going "ow, ow ow" because the pipe may be hot, so use caution. An oven mitt, cloth, dirty shirt etc may help.

    You'll need to be there to do this as the noise is happening, and try to push in several directions as you won't know which way to push to relief the pressure. Sometimes just walking on the floor near it is enough.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    ethicalpaul