Front Page Forum: Clanging Radiators
We’re a little groggy this morning because the entire family was up half the night enduring the incredibly loud banging sounds emanating from our radiators. Literally, whenever the heat kicks in and the radiators are heating back up, it sounds like someone is hitting the radiators with a tire iron five or six times. Our…
We’re a little groggy this morning because the entire family was up half the night enduring the incredibly loud banging sounds emanating from our radiators. Literally, whenever the heat kicks in and the radiators are heating back up, it sounds like someone is hitting the radiators with a tire iron five or six times. Our GC hasn’t been able to fix it so we’re thinking it’s time to call in an expert. Anyone got a recommendation?
everything postes is correct. pitch the pipes, vent correctly etc. however in my experience the banging problem usually has a more fundimental problem..dirty boiler water. this causes a great deal of saturated steam in the system causing large amounts of condensate. this is then aggrivated by any of the other conditions. before anything clean out your boiler & piping. a can of dry steam usually workes well for this. buy at plumbing supply store.
I know nothing about these radiator systems. I live on the 2nd floor of an old building in Manhattan. My living room has the coiled iron floor mount along with one pole running from floor to ceiling while the two bedrooms have two poles next to each other in which one gets real hot but certainly doesn’t suffice in heating the room. My apartment in always cold and the system makes unbeliveably loud clanging when it comes on….what is going on?
Having the same problem in a 100-y/o building in Washington, DC. Anyone know of knoweledgeable professionals in the DC area?
I am having some problems with 2 of my radiators in the house. When the heating comes on, these radiators make loud knocking noises and then the noise dies away. When i switching the heating off, when the system is cooling down, i hear the noises again. Any suggestions>>>
Great site! I know my plumbing (3 brownstones in Park Slope) and my steam,but now I have noise (described as ball bearings bouncing around, not banging) in the TOP of the TOP floor stand pipe!!! Not a radiator. I plan on replacing the vent there, but wonder what it could be. This is not my apt, but my tenants, so I haven’t heard it firsthand. I don’t see noise coming from condensate 4 stories up a straight pipe.
Any suggestions?
So it seems there are 3 steps to take in trying to resolve the pipe clanging issue.
1. Drain the boiler of water – to remove sediment and to make sure that there is not excess water in the pipes.
2 Pitch the radiator at an angle to certify proper drainage back to the boiler.
3.Open and or replace the vents on the radiators.
Question: What about the large shut off valve on the other end of the radiator, how do you know if it is part of the problem? Are there any symptoms that make it clear that that is the source of the problem?
Also I hear a rattling sound in the radiator like something metal is loose and shaking. Any idea what that is?
Thanks
Byron
werber plumbing came by and did a yearly check that has not been done in decades. turns out we were adding too much water and it was backing up so now we just hear a rattling noise. much better. call them, they’re pretty good .
We had a very similar problems – the previous owners’ plumber said that nothing could be done (after they bought a new boiler). My husband read the We got steam heat book, and insulated all of our basement pipes, boiled some of the valves to get rid of build-up, and replaced several of them. About 80% of the knocking is gone, and it makes a HUGE difference.
Good luck!
To the poster who recommended John from Gateway – I second that. John is excellent, and he comes recommended by Heating Help web site. (Gateway is listed there under “Find a Professional”) But you absolutely MUST read the Dan H book ASAP that everyone is talking about. Call Heating Help and rush order it. It reads like a Grimm fairy tale. You will be happy you read it and will fall in love with your system.