Rads making strange noises

whitelightrider

Hi folks,

Have a really strange problem upstairs in my house. At about midnight every night the pipes or the rads in the room seem to make a tapping noise for a few minutes and then for about 5 minutes after that there seems to be a dripping noise. Ive checked all around the rad and there's no water so it seems to be coming from the inside of the rad.

Has anyone every experienced anything like this, or any advice on what I could do to sort it?

The Barron

This is more than likely caused by the heating pipes contracting as they cool down. The same noise is there also as they heat up but because of general noise in a house TVs and radios turned on it may not be heard.

The answer is to lift all floor boards and lag all the pipes and lag any pipe that comes in contact with timber.

whitelightrider

The Barron wrote: »

This is more than likely caused by the heating pipes contracting as they cool down. The same noise is there also as they heat up but because of general noise in a house TVs and radios turned on it may not be heard.

The answer is to lift all floor boards and lag all the pipes and lag any pipe that comes in contact with timber.

The heat is not on upstairs though so there's no way it could be heating up and cooling down. Also the pipes are not in contact with the floor boards as they are buried in screed.

CBYR1983

Sounds like you have a ghost. Call an exorcist.
Just kidding.

With the caveat that I'm not a plumber....

I don't understand why it happens at a particular time every night though. That doesn't make any sense, surely your heating switches off at this time or something?


I have a vaguely similar problem, I have one rad downstairs, very close to the boiler, which "gurgles" from time to time. It is intermittent and only occurs when the system has been on for a while.

There is no evidence of a leak either. I put in a new rad and the valves were alsoreplaced, but the issue has persisted, although to a lesser extent.

One plumber suggested to me that it was because of its proximity to boiler, and resulting strength of flow.

whitelightrider

CBYR1983 wrote: »

Sounds like you have a ghost. Call an exorcist.
Just kidding.

With the caveat that I'm not a plumber....

I don't understand why it happens at a particular time every night though. That doesn't make any sense, surely your heating switches off at this time or something?


I have a vaguely similar problem, I have one rad downstairs, very close to the boiler, which "gurgles" from time to time. It is intermittent and only occurs when the system has been on for a while.

There is no evidence of a leak either. I put in a new rad and the valves were alsoreplaced, but the issue has persisted, although to a lesser extent.

One plumber suggested to me that it was because of its proximity to boiler, and resulting strength of flow.

Ghost did cross my mind but its a new build! It happens at the same time every night and sometimes sounds like its a tapping noise on the pipes. Its the weirdest thing. Might have to call the plumber and ask him.

And nope, theres no heat on for the rads at all and the UFH hasnt been on either.

Penrose

Bleed every radiator in your house and see if that stops it.

Plombier

Are you using a hot tap in an En Suite before you go to bed(one that has'nt been used for a while) if so this might cause the same issues mentioned above.

whitelightrider

Plombier wrote: »

Are you using a hot tap in an En Suite before you go to bed(one that has'nt been used for a while) if so this might cause the same issues mentioned above.

Nope. I swear its the weirdest thing! No hot tap being used, no heat on. Happens around the same time each night. Ill try bleeding the rads over the weekend and see what happens.

JohnnieK

Is the heating system heating the cylinder? It's definitely expansion and contracting, It sounds like dripping water to some people. You would be amazed at the amount of calls I get on this. It seems to be worse in Celtic Tiger houses because the pipes were just thrown in, no thought put into supporting or insulating.

Plombier

Mouse dont tell you wife

kay 9

Qualpex is probably the culprit as per usual.

whitelightrider

kay 9 wrote: »

Qualpex is probably the culprit as per usual.

How dya mean Kay 9?

JohnnieK

whitelightrider wrote: »

How dya mean Kay 9?

Qual-pex (plastic pipe) expands and contracts a hell of alot more than copper thus causing creeking noises in the wood which sound a bit like dripping water especially if it is drilled through joists.

Sparkpea

JohnnieK wrote: »

Qual-pex (plastic pipe) expands and contracts a hell of alot more than copper thus causing creeking noises in the wood which sound a bit like dripping water especially if it is drilled through joists.

would you say this is with all plastic pipe systems? polyplumb/hep or just qual-pex?

JohnnieK

Sparkpea wrote: »

would you say this is with all plastic pipe systems? polyplumb/hep or just qual-pex?

In general yes. Plastic pipe has a higher coefficient of linear expansion than metal pipes. The only plastic pipe I have came across with a low one was something called Calpex but you wont find that in a domestic situation, It's very expensive, it's pre-insulated in a duct. The smallest size iv used was 3 inch in a 4 inch duct, it comes in a coil and you need a dump truck and a jcb to unwind it very strong stuff.