Why your boiler makes banging noise when firing up.
Friday, April 15th, 2016
Boiler Makes Banging Noise
You arrive home and you put on the heating after a long day at the office. You have been thinking about that book you put down on an exciting chapter last night. You try to cosy up on the couch with a cup of tea. You should be at peace but unfortunately you’re disturbed by a strange but constant banging noise, despite being alone in your home. What the hell is that you ask yourself? Well, if there’s no one else in the house banging around. Let’s pray it’s not a burglar, it’s likely then to be your boiler makes banging noise / central heating system.
Your central heating shouldn’t be noisy at all, so if your boiler makes banging noise or any sort of humming, tapping, clicking and gurgling noises then you need to have it investigated. We in the trade call this kettling.
So let’s see what is causing all the fuss?
There are a number of reasons why your boiler makes banging noise but if you’ve just had a new boiler installed; this is likely to be the culprit. Whilst boilers shouldn’t make any noise whatsoever, if they’ve not been installed correctly, they’ll make all sorts of strange sounds.
Other problems can include poorly maintained heating systems and limescale build-ups.
Identifying the noise and problem
Before calling a plumber, we recommend you do some of your own checks. Try to find the location and times the noise starts, ie (is it when your heating just starts up, cools down, when the temperature is turned up higher etc. These are some of the questions the heating plumber will ask you when you phone them up. Below we’ve provided a quick guide to some of the sounds you are likely to hear and what they may mean.
Banging noise coming from the pipes
If you hear a banging or clanging noise, it’s likely to be coming from your pipe work. Check that they have all been fitted and secured with clips or bracketed and tied down properly. If you can see that they are loose or not secured properly, then that’s probably what’s causing those annoying sounds. If the pipes appear to be secured and clipped correctly, then there may be a pressure issue inside the pipes and system. The best thing to do is drain them out and refill the system again. If the banging persists, you will need a plumber, to perhaps power flush the system or install larger pipes for your new boiler.
If your heating thermostats are set at the wrong timing or the system is filled with too much pressure, they may cause your boiler to create a humming sound. To stop this from happening, we recommend checking that your thermostat is working correctly, that the correct water pressure is present (consult the manufacturers manual) it is usually between 1 mbar and 1.5 mbar depending on the system. If it is, it may be a cause of needing to reduce the water pressure, slow down a pump speed that is feeding the heating system.
Please keep in mind that if the pressure is set too high, it can cause damage to your pipes, which is likely to result in them banging and clanging. If you are unsure of any of these it is wise to contact a qualified heating engineer.
Gurgling and tapping noise from the radiators
If you can hear a gurgling or tapping sound coming from your radiators, there’s likely to be a build-up of air inside them. The solution to this problem is pretty simple – you just need to bleed the air out of the system.
To do this, loosen the bleeder screw (ensuring you’ve got a tub underneath, be careful not to open too much the screw could fall out on you) and wait for the water to appear. Once it does, you can be sure that all of the air has gone. Note you may need to top up the heating system if it is a sealed system to the recommended manufacturers water pressure, usually around 1mbar to 1.5mbar.
Tapping sounds can also be caused by lime scale in your radiator pipes also known as kettling. To resolve this issue, you will need to buy a descaling solution to pour into your system. Just make sure your central heating system is turned off beforehand.
Call in a qualified heating plumber
If you do not feel confident in investigating or trying resolve any of these issues yourself, it’s highly recommended that you get in touch with a Registered Gas Installer and or Oil Installer to see if your boiler makes banging noise. We at Dewar Gas & Oil Service are specialists in this field looking after ten of thousands of customers across Dublin city and surrounding areas. We would be more than happy to send out a directly employed, qualified and insured plumber to resolve it for you.
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