clanking radiators
I am having a plumber come over to check out (and hopefully fix) the super loud clanking noise that my steam heat radiators make when they start working. Anybody know the ballpark of a price that it should cost to fix this? THanks!
I am having a plumber come over to check out (and hopefully fix) the super loud clanking noise that my steam heat radiators make when they start working. Anybody know the ballpark of a price that it should cost to fix this? THanks!
Having the right amount of water in your boiler WILL NOT STOP YOUR PIPES FROM CLANGING! Your boiler probably needs to be flushed and the ph levels should be checked also. Foaming and acidic water in a steam boiler will eat the cast iron alive. Yes, you probably do need a heating contractor to come to your house. Check out the video on this website–The Anatomy of a boiler. John Cataneo from Gateway Plumbing will give you some great tips, but if your unsure of what to do then I suggest you call his company and have them come and give your boiler a check up. They’re a company that you can trust and rely on. Yes, Dan Holohan is the king of the lost art of steam heating, but Dan’s been in the industry for a long long time and learned what he writes about from expierience, not from reading a book.
Look up previous posts on this topic (steam heat, heat, plumbers, water hammer). Read posts on http://www.heatinghelp.com and buy the Dan Holohan book “We got Steam Heat” for everything you would ever need to learn about your radiators and steam heat. The book is hilarious. You may merely have to lower the pressure on your system and insulate the pipes in your basement to stop the water hammer. As far as plumber cost, it will probably be the cost of the visit to tell you the same thing. Plumbers vary!
Previous poster is EXACTLY right! It happened last night. Our Boiler was over filled with water. I drained the water out. (check your glass level and see how much water you have in there) Once you have the right amount of water, you’ll be fine. YOU DONT NEED A PLUMBER WHO WILL INEVITABLY OVER CHARGE YOU!
I’m no expert, but I’ve always been told the clanking is caused by water trapped in the steam system, usually in the radiators. We had a plumber come over, who simply elevated one end of the radiators to encourage condensed water to leave the radiator and return to the boiler. It didn’t cost a dime. But it didn’t work either (at least entirely)!