Copper pipes used in steam heating system

Ken_45

When renovating my old home with steam heat, I decided to keep the system and not convert to hot water. The system worked fine. There was no hammering in the pipes. All rooms were adequately heated.

Because some new radiators had to be installed and others moved to accomodate the new floor plan, the plumbing contractor had to remove the old steel pipes. He replaced the steel with copper.

Now that the renovation is complete and it's the first heating system with the new copper pipes, I hear hammering in some of the pipes and a sloshing sound -- like water is rushing in and out of the pipes.

Was the plumber wrong to install copper pipes in my steam heating system? This work is under warranty from the General Contractor. Any suggestions on what I should do to correct the problem? What should I tell my contractor?

Thanks for any advice.

ScottMP

Ken

You will find other opinions but mine is that copper pipe has NO PLACE in a steam system. Many use it on the wet returns below the condesate level but I do not. It expands at a different rate and the solder joints just don't hold up. Copper looks like sneakers on a Tuxedo.

That being said its not the copper thats causing your problem right now, its a poor installation. Either the piping has been installed with improper pitch so that steam condensate is creating puddles in the system or its uninsulated and cooling off before it gets to the radiators. It may even be that the boiler it self was poorly piped and you are getting "Wet Steam" up into the piping.

Bottom line is its not right, you spent money to have it right and it should be fixed.

Call you contractor, if he needs help, take pictures and post them here, we'll help him figure out what they did wrong.

Scott

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Ken_45

Thank you

Bottom line for me is that the plumbing contractor did a poor job and it's going to be messy to fix. The pipes are already closed up behind walls and some of those walls are behind cabinetry.

As you note, the soldered joints are not durable, which means that they will have to be replaced at some point. The problem for me is that cabinetry will have to be removed and walls broken into in order to do the fix.

In any case, I appreciate your advice. Do you know if there is documentation that specifies that copper pipes are inappropriate for steam heat systems? Push comes to shove, I will need documentation to press my claim with my general contractor.

Gene_3

agreed

hammering and sloshing sounds like pitch and lack of insulation is wrong for starters

all pipes must be insulated

I would look for problems that can be seen 1st,, any pipes that come straight down from above should be ok, but if they crossed a ceiling and are not pitched right, ugggh

get it checked quick because hammering will bust a solder joint before a threaded black pipe joint

post pictures as suggested

Tony_28

Pipes making banging noises as well

Hi to all, I am having this same problem, but with a little difference. I am remodeling my first home, I had to change the black pipes to my steam radiators due to change in floor plans. A friend of mine that works for heating and cooling Co re did all the steam pipes in the house, and we used black pipe. My question is I have (3) heat elements and (2) cast iron radiators, the radiators are not banging, but the heat elements are. Where the heat elements were installed, the pipe does not run straight up, but has to run across the room to get to the other side. What is the normal pitch that the pipes must have, so that the water can return to the boiler? I think I am finding my problem with you guys here. Thanks I know he pitched them, but I need to know whats the correct pitch? Also someone told me that I need to install a steam trap, but there wasn't one on the old pipes.

gerry gill

did you know

that copper drainage pipes are just as noisey as plastic pipes? so any noise in a steam pipe will not be muffled by the copper pipe..copper pipe is also a cathode when placed in contact with steel and iron who will become the anode and sacrifice themselves prematurily to the cathode..rate of decay will vary in ratio to the amount of copper present..the others are correct, in that pitch,and pipe size will cause the inital noise..it must be redone..sorry to tell you that, but your gut already knew that, didn't it..

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