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Can’t figure out the banging noise in the radiator

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csouza123
csouza123 Member Posts: 1
in Strictly Steam

young plumber in Massachusetts, I got a call to fix a banging noise on the second floor of this massive Victorian style house in Lowell.

12 section boiler 450,000BTU Weil McClain natural gas boiler

For some reason, This is radiator is one of maybe 3 in the house that is piped with a feed and return (2 pipe) system where the others are just a 1 pipe system

The vent on the radiator is connected via a brass coupling where I think that it may have to be a horizontal vent..

The main steam supply in the basement doesn’t have any main steam vent

Boiler hasn’t been serviced in 5 years

any help is appreciated

My plan was to service the boiler, remove the radiator, clean it, pitch it more and hope for the best

IMG_2945.jpeg IMG_2937.jpeg IMG_2951.jpeg IMG_2940.jpeg IMG_2938.jpeg IMG_2939.jpeg IMG_2943.jpeg

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,679

    The valves on that radiator suggest to me that this may have been piped as a two pipe air vent radiaator. One pipe generally led to a steam main. The other to another pipe which also had steam in it, but was intended to carry condensate back to the boiller as well. A return, if yu will, but not a dry return as would be found in later systems.

    It works. Actually, in many ways like a one pipe system. However, pipe pitch — not so much radiator pitch — is essential to make sure that condensate can, indeed drain.

    So that is where I would start looking. How does condensate drain? Are the pipes all pitched to allow it to drain freely?

    Also make sure both valves are wide open…

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2New England SteamWorks
  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 1,216

    There is almost certainly no point in taking out and cleaning the radiator. This is a pipe pitch problem. Condensate is pooling somewhere. Get rid of the pool and you will get rid of the hammer.

    On the plus side, it looks like whoever installed that boiler actually read the instructions and piped it properly.

    —
    Bburd
    ethicalpaulNew England SteamWorks
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,067
    edited November 13
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1872139#Comment_1872139

    well almost. the mains should come in to the header individually.

    making sure the valves are both all the way open is my first suggestion

    that coupler is because they couldn't turn the vent past the top

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,334
    edited November 13

    The trap may be plugged..

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,067

    btw that is a very early style of radiator so that is likely a very old system that might predate thermostatic air vents

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 7,981

    If the radiator is anywhere near level (and even if it's not), that's not your problem.

    I agree with @bburd there is likely a pipe pitch problem in the short horizontal section in the floor.

    You can try to lift the radiator on both sides (I see you already have it shimmed on one side) in an effort to correct what is likely a sag in the supply pipe.

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

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