My home heat boiler making cranking sound

[calvinwch]

It sound like some one hammer my heater pipe, and it start when the boiler is burnning. it get very loud, "crank crank crak"

Any one know how to fix this? or something is wrong?

it didn't happen all the time when the system is kick in, but most likely at night. I have always wake up to check what happen, some time give it little more water the cranking sound will go away. The cranking sould is from Heating boiler, and go all the way with pipe to

2nd floor. sound like return water pipe or something.

Need help, winter is here again and need sleep for the whole family.

[buffalobill]

sounds like something is wrong. hire a qualified heating repairman for your system [is it steam? is it hot water?] look over your type of system and show you how to perform annual maintenance. there are water controls, gauges, and expansion tanks to learn about. also there are controls and sensors that limit your system from overheating which may need adjustment or replacement.

[Dr. Hardcrab]

What do you mean you "give it a little more water"?

Could be something simple or it could be a warning "sign" of impending doom.

Can't see it from here. Better call someone out and soon.......

[m Ransley]

Deposits built up on the bottom will do that, the solution is a new boiler. If you had maintained it from leaking without adding all that makup water you wouldnt have built up deposits, Depending on unit cleaning may help.

[calvinwch]

the boiler is about a year old, new just install not long ago.

"give it little more water" mean i add some more water to the tank and the sound stop.

I have 2 zone, upper floor is steam heat and base is hot water heat.

[HeatMan]

Steam system? Is the noise coming from the boiler or the piping?

[Mark]

Steam system... sounds like "water hammer"

look that up

if it is a single pipe system the pipe needs more pitch or you need a return pipe also...

the return moving condensate and the forward moving steam are colliding in the pipe..

Mark

[calvinwch]

the noise is around the boiler pipe i belive, not 100% sure it is from boiler or pipe.

it is dual pipe system, one go out (steam/hot water) and return piple. the noise 95% i belive is somewhere near boiler return pipe or boiler. Because the noise follow the return pipe and making 2nd floor with banging noise.

I try to turn the basement heat(hot water) higher than the upper floor, and release the tank water until it is look clean. it seem goes away little, the noise isn't that loud. the basement heat most time wasn't turn on, due to the basement temp. is keeping well. Maybe the water pump wasn't pump any water to make the hot water to cycle to the tank. what could be wrong? will see if the noise come back or not.

Thanks for all your guys help, aleast i can have good sleep during Thanks giving night. and happy hoilday to all.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Could be water hammer. The steam may be carrying slugs of water that hit the pipes and make rather loud bangs. This mostly occurs during the start of a cycle when condensate is laying in the pipes.

If it is a steam boiler, don't do that. Is there a sight glass? Is there a mark for the water line? Never go below the line or the boiler can overheat and do much damage. Serious, expensive damage.

If you are not familiar with the workings of the boiler, call a pro and let him check it out and show you how to care for it.

[m Ransley]

Get the instaler out, 1 yr its still under warranty, unless you think its a bad install and he will lie to you, which can happen, then call the boiler manufacturer.

[m Ransley]

Don`t just "add a little water" when you feel like it, go by the gauge, and dont add cold water to a hot boiler. You need someone to go over it , you must learn how to operate it before you possibly ruin it.

[HeatMan]

Not quite.

But the steam is only slightly warmer than the condensate...

Think about it....

[HeatMan]

2 pipe steam.

Are you turning the pressure up on the boiler?

And you have a condensate pump? Or are you talking about the hot water pump?

Have you done any work in the house lately?

It sounds like a pipe hanger broke or you moved a pipe and there is condensate pooling in the piping. That is what usually causes water hammer.

[calvinwch]

i didn't turn up the pressure, i have 2 zone (basement and upper floor) and the basement hot water is using a pump to cycle the water i bleive ( which i have see a device near the boiler look like pump) the pipe around the boiler has change , and also partial of the return pipe too. there was a leak on pipe before, which has been fix.

If it is pipe hanger, how come the loudest noise is from near boiler? i do call people to check, which the boiler didn't show some "respect". When they come and check, the boiler keep quite and system just look fine as new. Just can't keep paying for visite for nothing.

now i belive it is more like you guys say water hammer, because it is only ON when the heat is coming.

BTW: i say turn higher temp. on basement which i want to cycle the water that is in the pipe. Because the basement most time heat is not on, which pump will not cycleing the water.

So far so good, as today the hammer "music" is not coming every night. If it do come, it go away faster than before. I will do more cycling the water to clean up the pipe.

Thanks for all your people helping me, hope this info will be helping other water hammer victims too.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Noise will travel down a pipe.

Could be some air in the lines yet. Bleeding will help. Could also be some noise from expansion and contraction as the hot water moves through the pipes.