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Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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So here's the deal...I'm renting a semi-basement apartment which has steam heat. I moved in last December. When I first moved in, I didn't experience this loud noise when the heat came on. It didn't start until about February. Anyway, the heat comes on, then after about 15 minutes, I hear this really loud clanging noise in the pipes in the ceiling. It goes on for about 5 minutes, stops for a little, then comes back. I listened closely and it sounded like water was rushing through the pipes, and then that clanging noise started. I'm starting to lose sleep over it, it's pretty bad. I told my landlord last winter and he said I have to deal with it or have my heat shut off. He's a nice old man, but I wasn't expecting that sort of response. Maybe he was just having a bad day. So because of that experience, i'm afraid to bring it up again.
Also, the radiator in my bedroom is starting to leak. Water fills up in this handle thing, then starts to drip out.
I'm thinking the radiators might need to be bled, do you think? My landlord told me never to touch the radiators, so I wouldn't do it. My parents are coming up for Thanksgiving, so my dad would hopefully bleed them for me and see if that helps.
My landlord sometimes asks me how the heat is, and I always say it's ok. I bite my lip trying not to bring up the sound. But I can't keep losing sleep from this noise. I put on my headphones and I can still hear it, that's how loud it is.
Is it steam heat or hot water? I am not familiar with steam. If hot water heat has air (needs to be bled) it will sound like there are marbles rolling thru the pipes.
You should go to This Old House website and search. I saw one of their shows about steam heat.... everything from what you're describing to installing and repairing it. If you have radiators, it seems to me that the noise you're describing can be caused from them not setting level -- for one thing -- if I remember correctly.
You may need this information to help your landlord.
I don't know much about steam and I beleive there is two different types of sytems. The most common is one that uses a single pipe to supply the radiator and acts a return line for the water once it condensates within the radiator. The radiator (or pipes) supplying it should be slightly off level so the condensed water can return to the boiler. If they are not the water will accumulate in a pool causing the banging.
I don't know much about steam and I beleive there is two different types of sytems. The most common is one that uses a single pipe to supply the radiator and acts a return line for the water once it condensates within the radiator. The radiator (or pipes) supplying it should be slightly off level so the condensed water can return to the boiler. If they are not the water will accumulate in a pool causing the banging.
That's what I remember about the This Old House show on Steam Radiators.
Bleeding them won't fix it on steam. It's a different system.
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