Squeak from central heating driving us crazy - please help

PlumbCrazy

Long time lurker and first time posting so please bear with me.

Just moved into a new house and have a Lismore back boiler stove from Stanley and oil as central heating options. The heating is zoned for upstairs and downstairs for the stove and oil. The stove has a stat located next to it and is set at 60deg. The stove is unusable at present as there is a really loud squeak from the stove when it drops below the stat temperature when the fire is heating up and cooling down. It can be heard all over the house so we can't run the stove after 9pm.

The plumber has been several times and no solution found, we have a new stat, new stove pump and it seemed to fix it for a few days but it came back again. All other pumps unchanged. We also seem to be getting very little heat from the stove but whether this is a separate or linked issue I don't know.

I talked to Stanley and they have never heard of it as a problem. Ive done loads of tests and it seems to be the water temp is triggering it as it doesn't happen if the oil has been running before the stove kicks in.

So please if anyone has heard of this and sorted it or has any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them as at the moment we have a 3K white elephant sitting in the sitting room.

Dtp1979

PlumbCrazy wrote: »

Long time lurker and first time posting so please bear with me.

Just moved into a new house and have a Lismore back boiler stove from Stanley and oil as central heating options. The heating is zoned for upstairs and downstairs for the stove and oil. The stove has a stat located next to it and is set at 60deg. The stove is unusable at present as there is a really loud squeak from the stove when it drops below the stat temperature when the fire is heating up and cooling down. It can be heard all over the house so we can't run the stove after 9pm.

The plumber has been several times and no solution found, we have a new stat, new stove pump and it seemed to fix it for a few days but it came back again. All other pumps unchanged. We also seem to be getting very little heat from the stove but whether this is a separate or linked issue I don't know.

I talked to Stanley and they have never heard of it as a problem. Ive done loads of tests and it seems to be the water temp is triggering it as it doesn't happen if the oil has been running before the stove kicks in.

So please if anyone has heard of this and sorted it or has any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them as at the moment we have a 3K white elephant sitting in the sitting room.

Can u post a video of this happening?

gunners111

I had problems with squeaking pipes when stove was heating up and cooling down, but this was the qualplex pipes rubbing against the joists in between floors. had to take down ceilings to sort it was not a happy camper.

PlumbCrazy

Thanks so much for your replies.

I will try to get a recording later and post it.

Yes thats interesting about pipes causing a squeak. I just hope we don't have to go tearing down ceilings.

Apparently there aren't any moving parts in a stove so Stanley don't think its the source of the issues.

Thanks again, if anyone else has seen this and solved it please please respond.

PlumbCrazy

Ok so just to update. Our "plumber" was here yesterday (and apologies to all knowledgeable plumbers out there, ours isnt one of you). It seems there is a piece of metal in the system that might be making the noise. System was drained a few weeks ago for replacing parts and noise went for a week and was drained again yesterday and no noise last night. Might come back again like last time who knows. He doesnt know where the metal is and doesnt know how to find it. I'm no plumber but a piece of metal that could block the system doesnt sound good to me.
So anyway the saga continues. If anyone has any opinions let me know.

Dtp1979

PlumbCrazy wrote: »

Ok so just to update. Our "plumber" was here yesterday (and apologies to all knowledgeable plumbers out there, ours isnt one of you). It seems there is a piece of metal in the system that might be making the noise. System was drained a few weeks ago for replacing parts and noise went for a week and was drained again yesterday and no noise last night. Might come back again like last time who knows. He doesnt know where the metal is and doesnt know how to find it. I'm no plumber but a piece of metal that could block the system doesnt sound good to me.
So anyway the saga continues. If anyone has any opinions let me know.

Metal that causes squeaking? It's either a piece of metal stuck in the pump or a robot mouse running around inside the pipes.

Chemical Byrne

Would it be cavitation either in the pump or in the boiler itself when it gets hot.

Is the pump on the flow or return.

dathi

had a trv on a rad in our house which when closing/ opening set off a high pitch whine in system changed it and haven't looked back

PlumbCrazy

Thanks All,
ChemicalByrne how would I know if the pump was on flow or return, any easy way of telling?
Dathi, how was the noise source been narrowed down to that rad or was it v obvious. Our problem seems to be that no one can narrow down the source.

monseiur

Would guess the noise is related to the stat next to the stove - try resetting it at higher or lower temp.
Or else air lock/hammering in pipes in close proximity to the stove - are you 100% certain that the sound is coming from the stove itself ??

M.

NIALL D

Possibly a non return valve / one way valve ..
Is there only noise when the pump runs ?
Sometimes if there installed after the pump they tend to be noisy , usually if there placed before the pump they are fine !!
Theres a few different types , normally either spring loaded type or flap type..

They are needed on the system to stop oil boiler heating the back boiler and vise versa ..

PlumbCrazy

Thanks for all your replies. THe noise wasnt from the stove but was related to reaching stat temperature. The stat is ok as has been changed out.

Here is the pattern and its just so wierd:

System gets drained and Noise goes away and Stove works great, rads very warm and tucks of hot water in the cylinder.

Then it all goes belly up again as night by night it gets worse. So for example even tho the noise wasn't back the warmth of the rads was less last night on night 2. I can hear whatever is in the pipes when the pump kicks in.

I just cant understand how draining a system can make it work brilliantly and then it starts going back to poor heat and Id bet the noise will be back within the week.

Bruthal

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Metal that causes squeaking? It's either a piece of metal stuck in the pump or a robot mouse running around inside the pipes.

Seems to be happening below the stat set point, presumably the pump is off at that time.

Is the water possibly boiling in the stove until the pump comes on, which then circulates it, maybe air lock in the gravity circuit (if there is one) so the water in stove is only able to circulate properly when the radiator circuit is running.

Maybe refilling the system has helped remove the airlock for now.