Re: Modern boilers are noisy

[Harry Bloomfield]

Brian Gaff submitted this idea :

A couple of years ago they had a new one fitted, but in my downstairs sitting > room the pump can be heard through some kind of structure borne vibration. I > know she has had the m fix this several times but eventually it starts again. > Sounds like a grinding noise through the wall. In her house you can hear a > low hum but when it fires up it sounds a bit like Cape Canaveral, and she was > told this is normal. I am beginning to wonder if they just never test for > anything like this, sure it works well, but really inside a house joined to > others its a bit rich when you consider what these installations cost.

Our pump is in the airing cupboard first floor. It is completely inaudible, even if you go up there and open the cupboard door, even then, I have to look at its 'pump running' LED. There is absolutely no vibration on the pipes at all. The pump is just mounted in the copper pipes. The only noise is the clicking of the pipes as the system heats the radiators and as they cool. So I would suggest that pump of your neighbour has a fault, is worn out, needs replacing..

The boiler has just been replaced, an Ideal swapped for a Vaillant. Both in the kitchen, in their own wall cupboard. The Ideal was somewhat quieter than the new Vaillant boiler in operation. The Vaillant is supposed to have awards for its quietness. I had to open the cupboard door to check the Ideal was burning, but not now with the Vaillant, but it is not that noisy.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You're obviously deaf if you can't hear your burner running.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) formulated the question :

In our case, we have a large kitchen and the space it occupies (in a matching cupboard unit) would have been just dead space anyway.

It is the third boiler to be fitted there, since the original, 22mm pipes + gas were there and for the condensate, there was a drain directly behind it. The location makes it also easy to keep an eye on its operation and over ride the time clock for an impromptu bath, or more HW when required for washing up.

Besides, where else would we put it? I wouldn't want it in the living room, nor the bedrooms. The utility is already pretty full and wouldn't be that useful to place it there.

Noise of the boiler is not that much of a problem, it is barely audible.

[Martin]

Ours was originally in the cupboard under the stairs, we replaced it with one that we put in the attic.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

If it was on Paulstradyne mounts it shouldn't vibrate to your house.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

I can if I stand next to it. But the ignition whoosh I can hear in the next room.

[Brian-Gaff]

I don't know what hers is, so cannot comment. I was led to believe the pump was renewed at the time and yes, its upstairs in the airing cupboard. In which case she has been unlucky. The thing is it has made this noise since new and the folk who put the system in claim they all are like that. Brian

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Inside my house I can hear water flowing through pipes (the main ones around the pump), but I can't hear the pump itself. I can only hear the pump if I'm in the attic, which is why I hate newer boilers where the pump is in the boiler in the kitchen.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Inside my house I can hear water flowing through pipes (the main ones around the pump), but I can't hear the pump itself. I can only hear the pump if I'm in the attic, which is why I hate newer boilers where the pump is in the boiler in the kitchen.

[Max Demian]

With a condensing boiler you need somewhere for the condensate to drain. Easy in the kitchen, but just having a pipe poking out of the wall risks freezing.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Which 50% seem to have. Don't plumbers understand freezing pipes? Condensate should drain into an inside drain.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Brian-Gaff wrote on 13/05/2018 :

I have only ever come across noisy CH pumps, which are faulty/ falling apart internally, otherwise near silent. No they are not all like that, people usually fit new, not because they have failed, but because the pump ha become noisy in operation. Someone is certainly telling porkies.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Max Demian has brought this to us :

I don't think they are allowed to just have the condensate pipe poking out, it has to go to a proper drain.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thanks for admitting your silent boiler is anything but.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

For what reason?

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

Clearly during the night you need 100% silence. My boiler (pre-2000, no pump or fan) can only be heard slightly when it ignites, and only when burning if you stand right next to it. Quiet enough to get to sleep in the next room, but not if it was in the cupboard right next to me. But other people's more modern boilers I can hear pumping and blowing outside the house, in the kitchen, in the next room, etc, during the day. Very annoying.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The pump itself should be near silent. Most likely it's the water circulating making the noise.

[Max Demian]

Cite please. There must be many cases were there isn't a 'proper' drain anywhere near the boiler.

[Roger Hayter]

In which case you are supposed to build a mini-soakaway. The acid effluent is a possible hazard to children, animals and concrete.

[Jimmy Wilkinson Knife]

If you're a pessimist.