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Posted by Dick Hourigan on July 23, 2008 at 19:50:48:
In Reply to: banging in my steam pipes... posted by Craig on December 18, 2006 at 10:40:34:
: I have what I've been told is a single pipe system. The boiler was approx. 70 years old and in need of replacement. A month ago we had the boiler replaced and now the pipes bang like someone is beating on them with a bat and one radiator on the first floor
: rarely/barely heats up and sounds like there is water in it. The bolier has an auto-feed on it and it seems like it is always more than full. The radiators always worked before and the pipes NEVER banged like this. the guy that installed the bioler seems at a loss. the bioler work that he did looks good though.
: any help would be appreciated.
This is an old post, but being a chemist, I have to wonder if your contractor did a boil out procedure to remove the oils from the boiler before putting it into operation. The oils are there to protect the boiler from corrosion during manufacture and before being put into service. They must be removed before service.
If you fail to remove them, boiler water will be thrown up into the steam (essentially boiling over like a pot). New water comes in to the boiler to replace the water that went to the steam. And of course, you will get the water hammer that you have been hearing as the water is propelled down the pipes by the steam. It does not turn on the 90 degree elbows fast and will make loud noises.
Here is a link to my website page containing an article called "Boil-out Procedure - Firetube":
http://www.richardhouriganinc.com/resource_center.html
This article is in a PDF format and is available to be downloaded if you like.
If you drain the boiler several times as you must have in the last couple of years, this problem should go away by itself.
Dick Hourigan
www.RichardHouriganInc.com