Whistling thermostatic radiator valve!!!

gundo

6 weeks ago I had a new combi boiler installed and thermostatic radiator valves to all but one rad fitted. I have microbore tubing (8 & 10mm apparently).

The new boiler was a nightmare! They had to take up the bedroom floor which I knew about in advance but they made a complete hash of it and after two attempts at them getting it right I got in a carpenter (at my own expense) to fix it. To be fair I have chipboard floors which are very hard to lift but they destroyed the bit they took out and tried to put it back, then fitted a piece that was the wrong thickness (18mm instead of 22mm according to my chippie). Not to mention the numerous holes round the pipes in my plasterboard walls from where they struggled to fit the TRVs. Also not to mention the unsupported flue they left in the loft and the daylight I could see round the outlet (through a special slate which replaced one of my concrete tiles) which they then came back and fixed (so far it hasn't leaked but it's certainly more draughty up there than before).

Anyway a couple of weeks ago the rad in the master bedroom leaked and ruined the carpet. Apparently according to the guy they sent to fix it, the TRV where the leak was hadn't been soldered properly internally (didn't sound right to me but at least he stopped the leak).

Well to top it all now, the TRV whistles quite loudly, I woke this morning and I could hear it and I thought it was fault on the boiler but tonight I heard it again and it was noisier in the master bedroom and it's emanating from the TRV! I turn the TRV down so the valve closes off and the whistling noise stops. Turn the TRV up full and it gets louder. What the hell is causing this and how do I cure it?

The whole boiler thing has really left me completely hacked off!!! 2.5k to make my house worse, spoil the flooring, spoil the walls, spoil the roof! Argggghhhh!

Apologies for the over length rant.

Canucklehead

Hi

Sorry to hear you have had a poor installation.

It sounds like the water is being forced around at too great a speed resulting in the noise you describe. The 8/10mm pipe may not help either.
The boiler should have an auto bypass to help even out the system pressure but it might need an external one, between flow and return, ouside the boiler.


Corgi Guy.

andyhop

it could also be that the valves are incorrectly fitted, some trvs only accept flow from one direction and are not bi-flow

andrew-b

...and if they are bi-flow you still may have to set the flow direction (least you do on our danfoss ones). Were any instruction/fitting leaflets left that you can gleam any further information from or even just make and model number of TRV may help others advise you?
Being microbore pipe it's more likely to get gunked up with limescale and sludge. Did the installer carry out a powerflush or clean the system through with system cleaner?

Andy