A boiler can make incredibly irritating noise and even impede the quietude of you and those around you. The loud noise from your boiler can be a pain in the neck, especially if you want to have a nap. This noise usually indicates an underlying problem with your boiler that needs to be fixed. Your boiler can make different types of sounds depending on the issue at hand, as different sounds correlate to different problems.
Your boiler is very essential to get along without it. But keeping your boiler working is a matter of safety and comfort. The best way to get your noisy boiler fixed is to a get gas-safe engineer to diagnose the issue. You also should do routine maintenance exercises by following instructions in the manual as this will go a long to preventing faults.
In this article, we will help you understand what the various types of noise mean, their causes, and how to furbish up those problems.
Boiler Making Loud Noise -(Causes and Fixes)
If you are getting irritated by the loud noise coming from your boiler, here are some of the known causes and how to fix them.
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Some Common Noises from Boilers
Rumbling Noise
Your boiler can make rumbling noise due to small pieces of sediment, rust, and limescale heating up and expanding inside the cylinder. The rumbling noise can also be caused by the build-up of mineral deposits inside the boiler’s heat exchanger.
The mineral deposits happen when hard water passes through the boiler for a long period. As the water moves through the heat exchange it deposits crumbed minerals on the walls of the pipes. Finally,
The deposit of minerals ramps up and blocks the flow of water through the heat exchanger. The blockage causes the water to evaporate in the pipe, hence making steam and putting huge pressure on the heat exchanger. This is the cause of the rumbling noise you hear when your boiler is kettling.
Vibrating Noise
The vibrations in your boiler can be caused by various factors. Which can include the malfunctioning of the pump shaking within the casing or a wrong setting of the pump. It can also be due to the accumulation of sludge inside the boiler. The excess accumulation of sludge leads to overheating of the pump.
The vibrating noise may also occur due to the vibrations of the fan bearings.
Clicking or Tapping Noise
If you hear a clicking noise from your boiler then it means the boiler has difficulty trying to ignite. This can be caused by many factors: low-pressure levels, dirty pilot lights, no gas, and defective valves.
Gurgling Noise
The gurgling noise from your boiler might indicate that air is trapped in the system and is mixing in with the water
Rattling Noise
The central heating system may make a rattling noise as a result of loose objects shaking against each other. But if not the cause of the noise, other few reasons can make the noise occur, in most cases noise from the boiler may come about due to air in the pipework. A loose valve and a faulty pump may also induce a rattling noise in your boiler
Drone Noise
Your boiler can produce strange noises that sound like an airplane taking -off or a drone. Several factors may bring on this, but in most cases, it is due to a faulty pump.
Whoosh Noise
There are two common reasons why your boiler will make a whooshing noise
Blockage of the Air Intake Pipe
The air intake pipes are connected to the back of the boiler that extends to the outside of the property. When the entry to the air intake pipe is blocked with debris, dirt and other particles it can induce a whooshing noise in the boiler. If you put your hand below the air intake pipe and can’t feel the movement of air through the pipe, then it is likely the pipe is blocked. But when you feel the movement of air through the pipe then the noise is produced by the air filter.
Blockage of the Air Filter
The air filter placed inside the boiler can be blocked due to the accumulation of dirt dust and other particles. The dust particles inside the filter block the passage of air, hence creating that whooshing noise.
Potential Causes of Loud Noise from Your Boiler
A Defective Thermostat
A broken thermostat may give a wrong reading to the boiler which can cause it to heat the water to dangerous degrees. This is a common problem in old boilers that are almost getting to the end of their lifespan. As small issues can easily step up to big problems in no time. The appliances produced these days have safety devices that prevent overheating when the thermostat gets faulty.
A Faulty Pump
The pump is the most important part of a boiler, it is responsible for pushing water around the system at an accurate speed to heat the water to a desirable temperature. A faulty pump is likely to push the water at a slower pace and cause the water to overheat.
Pile Up Sediment and Limescale in the Pipe
It is natural for homes in hard water areas to experience the accumulation of limescale in their pipework and heat exchangers. When limescale, rust debris, and sediment pile up inside the pipes it blocks the flow of water. The blocked water overheats and turns into steam making it turbulent within the pipe.
Low Water Pressure and Low Water Flow Rate
Low water pressure can contribute to your boiler being noisy. Just like water hammering the sudden circulation and pressure surge then the sharp boost of pressure makes the banging and clanging noise in your boiler.
Failure of Boiler’s Ignition
If your noisy boiler recently stops working or refuses to fire up. Then there is a high chance you’re hearing clicking or light tapping sounds. This noise comes about when the boiler tries to ignite and fails.
Seizure of Boiler Pump Components
If you hear vibrating noise from your boiler then it means some components of the pump have seized functionality.
To be sure of this problem you need to check the pump. The pump should be warm, not hot.
If your pump is hot then there is a seized component.
Air Blockage in the Boiler Pump
Air blockage in the central heating systems of boilers is common these days. If your boiler has an air blockage in the heat pump, you will hear a banging noise a few minutes after the boiler is turned on or when you’re running hot water.
How to Fix a Noisy Boiler
Hire a boiler professional to check up on the system.
The boiler professional will come and diagnose the defects and recommend best practices to handle your boiler.
But is likely the issues could be related to these two,
- Defective ignition or probe
- Insufficient gas supply
Release Blocked Air
Modern pump manufacturers attach bleed screws to their pumps. With these bleed screws, you can easily release air from the pump. Doing this will help stop your boiler from making the banging noise.
Clean the Boiler’s Pump
To temporarily fix the pump, you just have to tap on the pump gently. This will help free up the component motor for it to perform its function properly. However, you still need to find the cause of the issue and fix it permanently. In most cases, the problem is caused by the pile-up of limescale within the pipes. So you need to clean the pump thoroughly to remove the accumulated sludge.
Get Rid of Limescale
Consult an engineer to check out the source of the problem. To find out whether the fault is from the heat exchanger or another part of the heating system
Limescale build-up within the pipe is difficult to remove. To do this you have to get a central heating inhibitor, do the system, and flush out the system. This will remove a significant amount of the limescale. But it might not be able to remove all of it, the older limescale will remain and still cause gurgling noise in the boiler.
Once the system is flushed, fit a limescale reducer on the pipe. This will help capture any limescale that moves through the system in the future, hence preventing the clunking and banging noise.
Bear in mind that this method may not be effective enough to remove the massive accumulation of limescale that is nearly at the point of cracking the heat exchanger. When this happens you will have to replace the heat exchanger entirely.
Increase the Water Flow Rate
If the water from the boiler has low pressure it could be a result of a leakage somewhere that needs to work on. The low water flow can also be due to the heat pump being on a low setting or there might be a seizure of the internal parts. Many boilers have their flow rate settings beside the pump. when you increase the water flow rate of your boiler it will stop producing the noise when it’s on.
Checkout for Frozen Pipes
The condensate pipe serves as a channel where excess vapor leaves the system. When it becomes very cold outside the water can freeze and block the pipe.
Your boiler condensate pipe is normally located outside of your home. It is mostly a white overflow pipe. You can simply thaw the frozen pipes with some lukewarm water.
Check Up the Circulation Pump
Another place you need to examine when your boiler gets noisy is the circulation pump. The boiler can get noisy when the circulation pump begins to run faster than usual. When this happens you need to slow down the circulation pump. If you know how to go about it, you can hire a heating engineer to figure out the problem. When there is a problem with your pump, you won’t have hot water and your radiators will not heat up properly.
Check Over the Air Intake or Flue
Debris, dust, and other particles may block the air intake which could cause vibrating or whooshing sounds in your boiler. The easiest way to detect this is to examine the external pipe on your property to ensure nothing is blocking the air and remove any substance that may obstruct the air. You should detect the movement of air when putting your hand near the vent.
Regular Maintenance
It is the responsibility of the boiler owner to have a planned schedule of routine maintenance for the boiler. Loose valves and other components or brackets of the system will be tightened to avoid them from generating bigger problems. You should always clean the boilers using a cloth to remove debris and dirt and a wire brush. This will prevent blockage of the air filter due to dirt and debris.
Always Ensure the Water Pressure is Correct
Your boiler can make gurgling sounds due to low water pressure. The pressure gauge is mostly found inside the control panel. In other instances, you may have it below the boiler where the pipes are connected. The correct pressure for your boiler is normally marked on the gauge pointer or green part 1-1.5 bar. You can easily adjust it to the correct one by following instructions in the user manual.
Final Thoughts
The different sounds you hear from your boiler represent different problems that need to be solved quickly. Most of the problems that cause the noise can be prevented if you keep up a regular maintenance culture. Keep your boiler checked and use it as instructed in the user manual. when you hear unusual sounds it is advisable to get a gas safe engineer to diagnose and recommend some best practices.
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