Noisy Radiators (not expansion) when heating starts OR when

[wesleystrider]

Please help if possible. I have a BAXI 105he boiler attached to 6 radiators throughout my ground floor flat. When the heating first starts pumping hot water around the system, every radiator immediately makes an odd swooshing noise for a couple of seconds and then stops. I think this may be sludge but I am unsure - can someone confirm. The really odd thing is that the radiators make the same noise when anyone uses the hot water tap....surely the tap is on a different circuit to the radiators?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[chrishutt]

I wonder if it might be a noise generated in the boiler but carried through the pipework and transmitted by the radiators. Have a listen to the boiler at the times when it happens.

 

[wesleystrider]

Thanks for the reply. I dont think it is - that thought occurred to me as well and I briefly tried to check this.

I will check again - but what could it be if this is not the case?

The main point is why should this happen when the hot tap is turned on?

 

[wesleystrider]

Hi again,

So I checked it out last night and the noise is coming from each radiator individually. When the hot tap is used, this seems to create some sort of flow in the radiators - I dont understand why this happens at all! So there are two issues....

1) What could be causing the noise in the radiators? It sounds like particles of corrosion tinkling against the inside of the radiator - sound plausible? Is it a DIY job to fix?

2) Why should the hot tap cause a noise in the heating circuit? Might this mean its plumbed in incorrectly o does this mean that the pump in the boiler for the heating circuit is turning on at the same time as the pump (if there is one) for the hot water?

Again, any help appreciated.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[wesleystrider]

Just as an extra bit of info - I dont think that there can be much in the way of sludge in the system as the radiators heat up fully top to bottom.

 

[ChrisR]

Tinkling noises are often air - or gas from corrosion. Can you bleed anything from the rads?

Do a search on Diverter Valve. Yours is youngish(?) but.. with the ch off, and leftmost (CH flow, big) pipe from boiler cool, turn HW on. CH flow pipe shouldn't get hot. Does it?

 

[wesleystrider]

I can't seem to bleed anything from them, no.

Boiler was installed late 04.

I'll have a check as you advise and let you know.

Thanks very much for your help so far.