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Noisy Central Heating System, Causes & How To Fix It

Why your central heating system may be noisy

When your boiler or pipes start making strange noises, it can be worrying and as much as it is potentially going to cost in repairs this shouldn’t be ignored.

The cause could be something easy to fix, however, in the worst-case scenario, the problems can result in an expensive repair bill. Like any piece of equipment, it can be the case that things go wrong, and more often than not a strange noise is the first sign not to be ignored.

If you have an old boiler, it may be cheaper to consider the cost of a new boiler instead of repairs in the long term, and in the short term save money on your energy bills.

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Is your central heating making a strange noise?

Always read your manual to familiarise yourself with your boiler and most boilers come with error codes therefore reading your manual could solve your problem.

If you no longer have your original manual with your boiler make and model number you can usually find the online version. Remember not all problems will have an error code.

How to fix a noisy central heating system

The first step is to find out where the noise is coming from, noise can travel through the heating and hot water system. Make sure you know if it is from the central heating pipe, the boiler or the radiator.

A noisy central heating system or boiler is most likely going to be caused by an air blockage or a build up of limescale in the boilers heat exchanger. The noises you might be hearing from your heating system or boiler include kettling, buzzing, clanking, banging, gurgling or humming. This is called kettling because it sounds like a kettle is boiling.

Why is the boiler noisy?

A noisy boiler is usually caused by a build up of limescale from hard water.

The noise that you hear coming out of your boiler is known as kettling, this is because it sounds like a kettle boiling.

What is boiler kettling?

If your boiler sounds like a kettle then the noise is usually caused by a build-up of hard water inside the boiler’s heat exchanger. You can solve this issue by getting a chemical de-scaler installed to pump through the heating system and remove excess limescale. This is so important as a faulty heat exchanger is one of the most costly repairs.

It could also be caused by the result of having low boiler pressure and water flow through your boiler. Most gas boilers require a particular flow rate so making sure this is correct is important. Having air in your boiler will also cause your boiler to make strange noises.

Why does my boiler sound like an aeroplane?

A pump that is on the verge of shutting down can make a noise similar to a drone, an airplane or even louder. This could be due to a simple mechanical failure, or debris and air trapped in the boiler’s impeller. A broken boiler can quickly spread to other parts of the boiler and cause serious damage to your home and a quick fix may be to bleed your radiators.

If the boiler pump is damaged, it is best to call an engineer to assess the problem and possibly replace the pump. You might consider getting a quote for replacing your boiler if there is severe damage to the system from mechanical failure.

Can I fix a noisy boiler?

This might be caused by your system not being installed properly so it would be unsafe to do it yourself as unless you are qualified it is illegal to fix a gas boiler.

It is important to seek an expert’s advice to make sure that all the boiler components have been properly installed.

Remember don’t mess with your boiler unless the manual tells you to do so, these problems may require special tools to access and solve the problem. It is always a good idea to contact a Gas Safe engineer to come and solve the problem.

New Boilers From Compare Boiler Quotes

If you have a boiler that sounds like it is broken, then it may be time to get a new one.

Here at Compare Boiler Quotes, we get you 3 quick and free boiler quotes from both small and large boiler companies that provide A-rated energy efficient boilers from leading manufacturers including Viessmann and Worcester Bosch.

We provide you with quotes for new and reliable boilers all available on flexible finance options making us the best place to go for great boiler on finance deals.

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