Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Steam heat - new & distressing CRACK noise

Two year "old", Weil furnace w/ Beckett burner, oil-fired steam in 80 year old attached, balloon framed home in NYC outskirts.

I began some renovations in June, and one of the projects involved partial removal of a wall. The intent was a total removal, but the steam pipes to the rear upstairs of the house fed up through a portion of that wall, so it remained with no changes aside from new sheetrock, a cold water line re-routing and some new electrical runs. Previous wall was plaster lathe with sheetrock and panelling over (talk about a disaster). Present wall is sheetrock only. Shortly after the heating season began, we noticed a loud, cracking-type of sound (not a hammer or clunk which is common in this house) eminating at the beginning of the heating cycle (when pipes are "warming" up). The heat in the rooms above works just fine. No signs of problems in the wall or in the basement. It's just this noise. Am wondering if perhaps it was just previously muffled by the various layers of building materials??? Or do I have a problem brewing...

Any input appreciated. Am under contract w/fuel company, but know they'll tell me to call a plumber. And I know they'll tell me they couldn't duplicate the noise, etc., etc.

Thx,

When you redid this wall did you leave room for the pipes to expand and contract? If you strapped them tight to wall studs or compessed them with the sheetrock that's the problem.

Also another thing to check. Make sure the boiler isn't low on water.

Mattison,

Thanks much. Will check w/the contractors. What will happen if they *did* strap or confine the pipes too closely?

The repercusion will be that you'll always get the noise. It is possible for the pipe to crack if it's weak and really confined.