Return Line Noise Very Loud

Jzobie

We have a 2 pipe system and the noise from the return line is so loud it keeps me up at night. When the burner runs for only a few minutes at a time, like it typically does when it’s not too cold, it doesn’t make that much noise. When it gets really cold out and the burner is running often or for longer periods of time there is a bunch of loud banging from the return pipe that resonates throughout the house. I am 99.9% confident it is the return pipe since I have felt the “air” popping in the pipe with my hand on the return line while hearing it at the same time. It has done this since we moved into the house 3 years ago, I have bled the system multiple times but it doesn’t make a difference. Oil tank is outdoor, above ground, about 30 ft away, 8-10’ above the burner. Is there anything I can do?Thank you so much in advance.

pecmsg

Wet returns do not hammer. Post pics of the near boiler piping.

Jamie Hall

OK, I'm confused. Are we talking about two pipe steam or are we talking about hot water? You mention "bleeding" the system— and that is exclusively a hot water task.

And if we are talking about two pipe steam, are we talking about pipes low to the floor (wet returns), pipes up near the ceiling connected at one end to the boiler (steam mains)(watch out for pipes which some call dry returns, but which are extensions of steam mains coming back to the boiler), or pipes up near the ceiling which are NOT directly connected to the steam mains nor to the boiler (dry returns)?

CLamb

Sounds to me like he is talking about the pipe/tube returning oil to the tank from the oil burner.

Jzobie

As Clamb stated, I am talking about the return oil line. It sounds like Morse code throughout the house when it gets going. Here is a pic of the setup. Both lines run up the wall, across the ceiling, and out the house parallel to each other.