One-pipe and two-pipe steam systems
Steam systems work well when they're set up right, and badly when years of small changes add up. Banging pipes, cold rooms and high gas bills are usually fixable.
Signs to watch for
- Loud banging or knocking (water hammer) when the heat comes on
- Some rooms are hot while others stay cold
- Air vents spitting water
- The boiler runs for a long time before radiators heat
- Gas bills that seem high for the size of the home
What the visit usually involves
- Figuring out whether the system is one-pipe or two-pipe and how it's piped
- Checking main vents, radiator vents and, on two-pipe systems, steam traps
- Checking the pitch of pipes and radiators for trapped water
- Setting the pressure control for a residential steam system
- Recommending repairs in order, from simplest to biggest
Every system and every technician is different. The technician you're connected with will explain their own process and price before any work starts.
Have this ready when you call
- Where the banging happens and when (start of the cycle, end, all the time)
- Which rooms run hot and which run cold
- Photos of the boiler and the piping above it
Questions
What's the difference between one-pipe and two-pipe steam?
In one-pipe steam, steam goes up and condensed water comes back down the same pipe, and each radiator has an air vent. In two-pipe steam, each radiator has a separate return pipe, usually with a steam trap. They're serviced differently, so it helps to know which you have.
Is banging normal for steam heat?
Some quiet ticking as pipes warm up is normal. Loud banging usually isn't. It often comes from water trapped in a pipe or radiator, and it can usually be reduced or eliminated.
Need help with one-pipe & two-pipe steam?
Call now and get connected with a local technician.
Talk to someone about your heat
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- Free to request, no obligation
- Your info goes only to the technician handling your request
- A photo of the boiler helps: you can text it after the call