A: Welcome to the big city Dan! Yes, from what I've heard, banging noises from steam heating systems is a common complaint, but in many cases they can be quieted down a bit.

The most common cause of banging noises in a steam system is when the room radiators or steam lines get flooded with water instead of draining back to the boiler. Steam can produce a very powerful force, and when the hot steam from the boiler comes in contact with colder water in the radiators it can cause problems.

You need to call your building's plumber or pipefitter as soon as possible to try and drain the trapped water. Servicing any heating system, especially steam heat, is a job for licensed heating professionals only. But, the good news is that once the water is removed, the radiators should stop singing "I'll hammer in the evening, all over Chicago land."