New gas boiler, now pipes banging. $3500 fix necessary?

We switched from oil to gas heat this fall and our pipes have been banging since. It seems to be getting worse. Could that be due to more heat or more steam? With the oil burner, the only time the pipes banged was when there was too much water in the boiler. I can’t figure out if the gas boiler has any similar thing. A plumber told us that we need 50 ft. of new pipe and it would cost $3000-$4000\. I’m hoping there’s a simpler, less expensive fix. Any ideas? And is there anything that I absolutely shouldn’t try? I don’t want to blow anything up.

Sisophys

in Heating 13 years and 5 months ago

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Sisophys | 13 years and 5 months ago

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The installation was well done. The guys that did it were really pros. They were meticulous and their craftsmanship was impressive. But as spelled out in the contract, they worked with the existing pipes. A lot of the piping here is really old. Maybe the work knocked some scale loose in the pipes, I don’t know.  The boiler has been cleaned once since we turned it on and the guy said there was some coating from the inside in the water (I think) so he drained it and cleaned it. Someone from the company is coming back to help figure out what to do. This is a work in progress. Iwill work out eventually.  I was just hoping for a quick, cheap fix. Thanks.

ellenlourie | 13 years and 5 months ago

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either installer lowered water level line, and created dry return from wet one, or  did not make proper near boiler piping, he might overfire boiler, he might  not perform skimming of new boiler, he might not keep A dimension over 28″, There might be other reasons as well, but it is clearly installer fault, and using his fault for reaon to sell even more stuff just funny. You picked up unqualified installer. hope the price was not your criteria of choice.

steam_man | 13 years and 5 months ago

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I’m still waiting for the pics..

wholesalerbill1 | 13 years and 5 months ago

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Sounds like a story I’ve heard way to often when  an angry customer calls and says the boiler I sold to the contractor who installed it is a piece of junk boiler. Almost all the time and I mean all the time it’s the contractor who installed it and repiped it wrong. As MP suggests, send pics and he’ll tell you right away what’s wrong. Almost a guarantee it was installed wrong. As I always say, the boiler is only as good as the contractor who’s installing it. Wet return that’s plugged? Hmmmmm. could be one of the problems.

Bklnite | 13 years and 5 months ago

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OP says “A plumber told us…” – is a plumber different from the plumber who did the new gas boiler installation?

eman134 | 13 years and 5 months ago

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BTW…why is the plumber who did the oil to gas conversion not standing behind his work? I alwats go back pro bono on any installation that I do

eman134 | 13 years and 5 months ago

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i’d be dubious if it involves a near boiler repiping…what disturbs me about this is that the banging started after the oil to gas conversion, implying a sloppy plug and play job, and perhaps a foolish decision that a bigger boiler is better (just did an oil to gas where the other bids were for an IN7 and IN8, when after measuring the radiation, an IN6 was appropriate)

Master Plvmber | 13 years and 5 months ago

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He says 50 feet of new pipe. Maybe it’s a boiler repipe and (buried?) return line?

eman134 | 13 years and 5 months ago

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The $3500.00 price quote sounds absurd…sounds more the pressuretrol is set too high, along with poor near piping and perhaps an oversized boiler…for a free consultation see my contact info on my profile

Master Plvmber | 13 years and 5 months ago

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That should not be happening and it has nothing to do with more steam. Post a picture or a link to a picture of your new boiler and some piping and I’ll tell you what’s wrong.