Clicking pipes (CH)

We've recently moved house. Whenever the CH is on, there is a constant clicking/popping noise coming from the pipes (akin to the 'expansion' sounds you sometimes get when a system first fires up). This carries on all the time the heating is on, with clicks/pops every couple of seconds. These noises seem to come only from the upstairs pipes.

The system is gas fired, with the combi boiler being about 6 years old. The radiators (and presumably pipework) are probably about 30 years old. The only exception is one small radiator that is probably 6 years old. The previous owners had the boiler serviced annually.

So, does anybody have an idea what might be cuasing the noise? And, more importnatly, how can we fix it?

Thanks

Dave

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Reply to
Janner
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expansion in the pipes and an insufficient gap where the joists have been notched out would be my guess. I did it on one install in the last house. had to take the boards up again and re-do the offending notch by the bathroom and the really offensive one in the bedroom.

Reply to
.

I figured that as the boiler cycled the water in the pipes heated up causing expansion and then the boiler reached temperature and then the contraction happened. I'm not talking about inches of expansion, maybe a few mm but that's what we thought, that's what we did and the problem went away.

there was one point where it wasn't possible to notch the joist out any further so I put a bit of pipe lagging where I thought there was contact and it worked.

could have all been coincedence, maybe, probably not.

Reply to
.

That would be the obvious cause of noise while the system is warming up, but why would it persist continuously while the system is at temperature, as the OP indicates?

David

Reply to
Lobster

|Lobster wrote: |> . wrote: |>> Janner wrote: |>>> We've recently moved house. Whenever the CH is on, there is a constant |>>> clicking/popping noise coming from the pipes (akin to the 'expansion' |>>> sounds you sometimes get when a system first fires up). This carries |>>> on all the time the heating is on, with clicks/pops every couple of |>>> seconds. These noises seem to come only from the upstairs pipes. |>>>

|>>> The system is gas fired, with the combi boiler being about 6 years |>>> old. The radiators (and presumably pipework) are probably about 30 |>>> years old. The only exception is one small radiator that is probably 6 |>>> years old. The previous owners had the boiler serviced annually. |>>>

|>>> So, does anybody have an idea what might be cuasing the noise? And, |>>> more importnatly, how can we fix it? |>

|>> expansion in the pipes and an insufficient gap where the joists have been |>> notched out would be my guess. I did it on one install in the last house. |>> had to take the boards up again and re-do the offending notch by the |>> bathroom and the really offensive one in the bedroom. |>

|> That would be the obvious cause of noise while the system is warming up, |> but why would it persist continuously while the system is at |> temperature, as the OP indicates? |>

|> David | |I figured that as the boiler cycled the water in the pipes heated up causing |expansion and then the boiler reached temperature and then the contraction |happened. I'm not talking about inches of expansion, maybe a few mm

A few *tenths* of a millimetre would cause clicking. I would locate the source of the noise and apply a thick grease, or maybe candle wax if it melts on the pipes when hot, to the top of the pipe, then let it run down to the point which is moving. Not too much as you do not want it to reach the downstairs ceiling.

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

hahahhaha, you go right ahead.

Reply to
.

Perhaps the pump is cycling On/Off too often.

Reply to
Tony Williams

|Dave Fawthrop wrote: | |> I would locate the source of the noise and apply a thick grease, or maybe |> candle wax | | |hahahhaha, you go right ahead.

Done it and it worked. :-)

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

no substitute for doing the job properly.

Reply to
.

|Dave Fawthrop wrote: |> On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:20:42 GMT, "." wrote: |>

|>> Dave Fawthrop wrote: |>>

|>>> I would locate the source of the noise and apply a thick grease, or maybe |>>> candle wax |>>

|>>

|>> hahahhaha, you go right ahead. |>

|> Done it and it worked. :-) | |no substitute for doing the job properly.

Hasn't recurred in 25 years ;-)

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

If the object of the exercise is simply to cure some noise caused by friction of expanding pipes within a notch in a joist, then TBH I would say that lubricating the notch (if it works, as it apparently has) was a much more 'proper' job than enlarging the notch in the joist.

David

Reply to
Lobster

well, you would say that, wouldn't you ?

but any bodge is no substitute for doing the job properly.

unless you know better ?

Reply to
.

Er - why, pray?

Absolutely - that's what I intimated above.

David

Reply to
Lobster

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