water hammering

Ray Bartolo

Hi Dan,
>
> I have a single pipe steam radiator system that is banging like mad every
time we use it. We recently had a plumber do some work in the house for our
kitchen and I asked him to move the pipe for my daughter's radiator which is
on the second floor of the house from the last feed off the loop to the
first pipe off the loop. He tapped in to the steam line about 2-3 fteet
away from the boiler and now that room gets hot quickly, where it never used
to. Thats great.
> I am not sure if this recent water hammering is a result of us opening up
the line, but I have tried to bleed the system multiple times which works
temporarily and then starts up again hour later.
> The water hammering is coming from the last two radiators off the system
which tap off the main line a good 15 ft from the end of the loop before it
returns to the boiler. The first of the two radiators is on the second
floor of the house, in a bathroom. The vertical pipe going up the wall
seems to be making a lot of the noise. I guess this is water passing by
steam? The second radiator that hammers, which is now the closest one to
the boiler on the return side is on the first floor in a bathroom.
> I have a little attachment that I put in place of the bleeder valve to drain the water out, but it takes a while until the water comes out, and then it is a combination of water and steam. Finallly, it is only steam
coming out. I don't know if I am doing it right or not.
> Can you give me some suggestions. If its easier to call, I am in Massapequa at 516-375-3513, otherwise an e-mail back would be great.
Thanks.
>

Steamhead

If you have to drain water out of these radiators

first make sure the shutoff valves are completely open. Then see that the radiators are pitched slightly toward the shutoffs. Either problem can cause water to back up in the radiators.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

patrick linhardt

water hammer

Hi Ray, Steamhead's suggestions are correct, but I sense that this problem started when the plumber changed the piping. Is this problem new to your system, or has this been going on for awhile? After you check the valves and the pitch, the next step would be to check the operating pressure of the system. Too high a steam pressure on a gravity return system can back water up into the main, and cause water hammer there, which could be heard in the radiators. Is there water in the second floor radiator, or just in the first floor bath? If it is up in the second floor radiator, it is probably the valves or the pitch. If it is only at that last radiator off the steam main, it could be the steam pressure.

**A safety note here** Don't work on the radiators with the steam up in the system. It is too easy to get burned. It would be much safer to work with the boiler off. Let's be careful out there.

Check out the "Find a Professional" feature to locate a good contractor in your area. A good steam tech can save you money in the long run, and quiet the beast.

Besr regards, Pat

Tom Zydowsky

Hissing Air Valves and Elevated Steam Pressure

Hi Dan,

This year I've noticed that my radiator air valves are hissing much more than last year, even after replacing all of them and adding #1 Gorton air eliminators to the system. I checked the steam pressure and it was about 5 psi, even though the Honeywell pressure regulator was set at 2 psi. Can this high pressure be causing the hissing and occasional water hammering that I'm hearing? If so, what can I do to get the pressure back to normal?

Thanks,
Tom

jeff_51

steam pressure

you should be running at 1.5 psi maximum on that boiler, At 5 psi you are picking up water nad carrying it into your rads. As Dan always says, TURN IT DOWN. You may need a new pressure-trol, or of course the guage may be wrong, but it sure sounds like to much pressure

Tom Zydowsky

Jeff,

Thanks for the advice.

Tom