Ticking noise from radiators or pipes.

Jeepers_Creepers

Can you describe the noise better? Or record it and post a clip (somehow!)?

Is it an actual regular 'ticking' - tick...tick...tick... or a continuos tinkling/trickling sound?

twopenny

The pipe comes from the boiler down towards the floor. It goes along by the floor, under the door, round the corner, down the house side of the garage and disappears downwards.

And its cold.

No idea where the water is heated then. There's a couple of 'things' in the airing cupboard among all the pipes and one someone said that's for the boiler.

 

Other wise there's a thing I think is for the disabled shower called a Mid Position Actuator

The noise is a 'ticking' - tick...tick...tick. If you tap something like a laptop with your knuckle repeatedly

Ectophile

The ticking noise is how I know the central heating system is working.  I find it rather comforting on a freezing cold morning to hear the tick - tick - tick that tells me the heating's just come on.

twopenny

Not when it's a loud knocking noise against the wall for up to 4hrs it's not Ectophile. And it occours in only 2 spots but that's enough to drive you crazy.

This isn't the ticking from the heating starting up or cooling down. This is a loud noise from somewhere that sounds like the wall near the entry pipe.

Thanks for suggesting that though.

I've wedged the pipe just a tad where the nut was tightened and it hasn't repeated but that may be coincidence. Won't know till tomorrow..........but I feel reassured that no one has (yet) seen anything that I should be worried about. So just my sanity at stake.

Jeepers_Creepers

That pipe coming down from the boiler is almost certainly the gas supply...

Your airing cupboard has a hot cylinder? If so, that's what the 'Mid Position Actuator' does - sends your boiler's hot water to either the hot tank (to heat it up), or to the rads (to heat them up), or to both (to youknowwhat).

The red thing is your pump - that circulates the water constantly around your rads and/or tank when the boiler is on.

All I can suggest is, the next time the noise appears, go around everything and have a good listen. That 'actuator' (3-port valve), for example, has a wee motor inside it to control the water direction, and when you go from 'rads' to 'hot water' to'off' the motor 'whirrrrs' for a few seconds before going quiet again. However, if the wee gearbox inside is worn - and they do tend to be after around 10+ years - the teeth can slip and the motor keeps running. Guess what sort of noise it can make?

Something to try. When is your hot water timed to come on - ie to heat your cylinder? Does it come on during the day for a top-up? If so, that would be a good time for a test. I'm guessing your CH will be on as well to heat your rads? Ok, go to the airing cupboard, and gently move the lever on the 3-port valve - you should find it stops around half way across if both the CH and DHW are on together. That is because the valve should be in its middle position so it sends hot boiler water to the cylinder AND rads. Does the valve make a noise? Now turn the hot water off - you can do this on the timer/programmer. Go back to the airing cupboard and you should find that the lever has loosened further - you can now move it easily right over to the far end. Is the valve making a sound?

If nothing, then just wait until the sound appears again - and THEN run to the airing cupboard!

twopenny

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all that jeepers. 
I'll get to it later as that tends to be when the tapping noise is continuous. I'll swear it knows when I'm listening and stops.
The gears are unlikely to be worn as the heating has seldom been used since built. Its stood largely empty for 20ys. New hot water tank amazing insulation and only need to heat water every 2days. Old tank gave more heat to the house tho like another radiator lol. Missed that recently.

Slinky

If your house is for sale can't you learn to ignore it til you move?

twopenny

Not for sale Slinky. Recently bought.

Ok so I'followed Jeepers advice and it all ticks over nicely and quietly. An absoloute joy.

But the tapping is now only coming from one radiator. The first to heat. And it's not continuous like it was since I gave the pipe going into the wall where a nut was tightened, a shove. So there is not a few knocks as the rad heats up.

First question is - I have another Actuator? That's what's written on it. The setting is high. Any idea what this is for? It sits below the other on a warm pipe at the side - where the black one sits on the middle pipe above this shelf.

Second question - The radiators since the change of valves get blisteringly hot as they heat regardless or setting. Then cool and so on. I guess this is right but they are so hot and the hot water is scaldingly hot too. The setting the plumber said he'd left on the boiler was at 4. On the immersion 65. Why would it all be so over hot? Could it be anything to do with this setting?

And then there's some dial thermostat in the garage on an electric cable. Set below 3 which is the last number.

Feeling a fondness for my 40yr old set up at the last place. One boiler, one dial, one thermostat on the wall. Sorted.

Jeepers_Creepers

twopenny said:

Not for sale Slinky. Recently bought.

Ok so I'followed Jeepers advice and it all ticks over nicely and quietly. An absoloute joy.

But the tapping is now only coming from one radiator. The first to heat. And it's not continuous like it was since I gave the pipe going into the wall where a nut was tightened, a shove. So there is not a few knocks as the rad heats up.

First question is - I have another Actuator? That's what's written on it. The setting is high. Any idea what this is for? It sits below the other on a warm pipe at the side - where the black one sits on the middle pipe above this shelf.

Second question - The radiators since the change of valves get blisteringly hot as they heat regardless or setting. Then cool and so on. I guess this is right but they are so hot and the hot water is scaldingly hot too. The setting the plumber said he'd left on the boiler was at 4. On the immersion 65. Why would it all be so over hot? Could it be anything to do with this setting?

And then there's some dial thermostat in the garage on an electric cable. Set below 3 which is the last number.

Feeling a fondness for my 40yr old set up at the last place. One boiler, one dial, one thermostat on the wall. Sorted.

First, the easy bits...

That last photo shows a frost stat. It's very sensible, and it'll turn your boiler on whenever the temp falls below that setting - currently 3oC. That's good - you want that. Now ignore it :-)

Your rads shouldn't really be getting scalding and then cold, but ideally the TRV hovers at the correct opening for that room. Having said that, when the room is cool and CH first comes on, it will tend to act like that - HOT, and then the TRVs shut off. But they'll hopefully find a balance where they keep the rads warm 'enough'. Mind you, the room stat is also doing its job, so that could well tell the boiler to turn right off...

If you find the rads become unpleasantly hot - ie dangerously 'OUCH!' to the touch, then by all means turn the boiler down a bit - try '3' (is this out of 5?). But, the important thing is to have a comfy warm house.

As the weather become milder, definitely turn the boiler output down - 3 or mid-way is fine. But the rads must always be able to get your house as warm as you want, or else it's too low.

The hot water. On the side of the cylinder, nearer the bottom, you should find a cylinder 'stat. It should be set to around 65oC. That temp will ensure (a) nicely hot water, (b) no 'bugs', and (c) you shouldn't actually scald (unless you jump into a bathfull), but it will be very 'ouch'. So, check that setting. (If it is at 65oC-ish and you think the water is actually much hotter, we'll guide you through testing that 'stat).

Finally, why are there two 3-porters? No idea - that's unusual (tho' you mentioned a disabled loo before?) What we'll need is some good photos that show it all - how the two valves are plumbed relative to eachother.

And 'H' means, I think, Heating (rads). And 'W' is Water (your hot cylinder) and 'M' is mid-way - ie both.

twopenny

I'd give you double thanks if I could Jeepers. I'm not a fussy person about most things ie what you see is what you get but I like 'things' to work and to know what they are so I can get on with the good stuff. This place is a mystery to me. So many switches.

So garage thermo set right, hot water (new tank) set right. The HWM seems irrelevant as both rads and water but I won't fiddle with what is working.

Ha! The disabled shower is a whole different ball game and more boxes.

So far the only sounds have been expansion sounds and with the heat of the rads when the boiler kicks in that's not surprising.

I would photograph the whole thing but it means taking everything out of the cupboard and dismantling the shelves. It's quite a work of art and huge

The continuous noise has gone ever since I made this post. I'm beginning to think more exorcist than plumber. So I won't put you to any more trouble. It will be interesting to see if it returns if we get another cold snap.

I'll see what happens to the 'overheating' if I turn the boiler down. I tried tonight but can't get the front down. I'll try again a weekday when I can get a plumber if I do something wrong.

I'm grateful to everyone here especially at the moment when we have no contact with friends and neighbours who I would have asked nornallly. Feel a lot more confident and in control about it. Sunshine promised for tomorrow and 12C. So next post soon will be guttering and such Much easier.