January Plumbing News

The work continues! Little by little, the oldest and weakest pipes in the building are making themselves known. Mr. Simpson, the plumber, is undoubtedly quite happy we like to repair leaks before they become more serious.

Today's jobs included a new "lead bend" which connects the nasty end of the toilet to the main waste riser, and some steam vent repairs on the lobby radiator. He also inquired about the pump, and I will say that it seems hot water arrives more quickly in my bathroom than it did before, let me know if you disagree.

In the middle of steam heat season, there are some knocks and bangs from our radiators and steam pipes. This was discussed with Mr. Simpson, he noted a few things. First, steam vent valves may fail over time. They can be easily unscrewed and replaced and as they are available in all local hardware stores, it's a simple task to do. If your valve hisses or "spits", or you have a radiator that takes too long to heat up, consider a new vent valve.

For banging and clanking noises, make sure your radiator valves are fully open. Steam is an "all or nothing" system, and if the valve is not all the way open, condensation will collect and cause the rattling and banging noises during the steam cycle. Sometimes, the oldest valves will have some loose or broken parts, and will make lots of noise when the steam goes on and off.

He also advised me to make sure the radiators are properly pitched. The valve end needs to be lower than the vent end, to let the condensate run out and back down to the boiler. Over the years, the constant movement can push the radiator's feet into the wood, and the radiator will be out of alignment. You can cure this by placing a small flat piece of wood under the radiator's feet farthest away from the control valve, and this should restore the pitch.

After all of this, he did say that steam is not a 'silent' system and he's never seen one that is completely quiet. By following some of his advice, you can make your radiators quieter and more efficient. There's a website http://www.heatinghelp.com/ that has lots of interesting steam heat information, if you really want to know more!