# noisy central heating/rads



## raglan (8 Jan 2009)

Hi,

We are in a reltively new build of 2yrs, a two storey. We really only have the central heating on during winter months. Any time it is on, there is a lot of tapping and ticking of the rads and pipes upstairs, especially at start of period its on. When you are in sitting room below, it is very annoying listening to the taps overhead and also noise in bedroom of rad/pipe tapping wakes me up in the morning...i'm beginning to hate having heat on as it annoys me. 

I've done searches here on it , and other posts about this problem says noise may be due to pipes contracting and hitting of other things. I've been in other houses done by same plumber and there is no noise when central heating is on. Also, we have a stanley brandon (oil) which fires the central heating system. Once the heating is turned of the tapping stops pretty much immediately. We have had problems with rads not been balanced or part of them cold and plumber sorted that out but has to come back and look at this problem. I do not think its to do with the way pipes are laid under wooden floor and them hitting of something as he has done a few houses and we are the only one with this problem. Also, do not want to have to rip up good wooden floors on a whim. Also, when in rooms below noise isn't in one specific place but taps heard in a lot of places.

Has anyone had this problem? What caused it and is it fixable, as I didn't expect this problem in a new house.
Would it have anything to do with the Stanley range used for the central heating....enough pressure etc? Please anyone any ideas?


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## DavyJones (8 Jan 2009)

This is a very common  problem. Copper pipes come up from the ground through a timber floor. the pipe is 1/2 inch and chances are, the floor layer drilled a 1/2 inch hole to slip flooring board over pipe.
Heating comes on, metal pipe expands. the 1/2 inch hole is too tight.

If you can hear it in one/same spot it is probably that.


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## raglan (8 Jan 2009)

Thanks for reply, but it is from rad itself and pipes going across floor....when sitting in room below you hear taps at different places in the ceiling when heat on.  And also taps from main body of rads​


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## suzie (9 Jan 2009)

Similar complaint, only on startup/shutdown and from my perception isn't confined to the area where a rad meets a floor but also in the middle of a floor. There probably isnt any solution without lifting the floor...

Any other solutions/idea would be welcomed..

Thanks
S.


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## DavyJones (9 Jan 2009)

Ok, Could be where the pipes go through the joists.

Try this...

Go to central heating pump, look on the side of it and you will see a control that can be turned three ways. It may be marked by three dashs. Short dash is slow speed, longest dash is high speed and middle dash is in between. 

Whatever it is at, turn it down one.

Have you thermostatic radiator valves fitted?

When/if your system was balanced they may have closed rad valves down too much. When pump pumps water it may cause the sound. reread your post and your pump is probably directly wired to boiler, so when boiler goes off so does pump. this would explain why it stops as sonn as heating is off.


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## suzie (9 Jan 2009)

Thanks, 

I'll have a look. I'm pretty sure when the motor value opens it sends the signal to the boiler to ignite (and this in turn starts the pump). Also I know 1 rad in the system is fully opened either end so nothing should be preventing the flow of water to cause the knocking? As I get the noise on both warmup and warmdown its a case of the copper expanding against the joists that creates the noise.

Thanks

S.


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## ontherun (10 Jan 2009)

I also have a Brandon Oil Cooker and it knocks in my bedroom every time it comes on for 5 or 10 mins.  I have a bungalow so don't know how the sound travels but to me it sounds like the rad itself that is making the sound, definitely not under the floorboards.  My previous cooker didn't do this.  I did have a problem with an airlock in another rad an only noticed this sound when the plumber cleared the airlock.


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