Almost every one of us has at some point encountered a situation where heating pipes are knocking. Let's look at the most common and frequently occurring causes of knocking in heating pipes.

Hum or whistle in pipes: identifying the causes

Residents of apartments, especially apartment buildings, complain about a hum or whistle in the batteries quite often. This kind of noise occurs either due to a leak in the pipes or due to a narrowing that prevents the proper circulation of water.

In the event of a water leak, the first step is to visually check all areas of the house. If everything is fine with the neighbors on the riser, then you need to go down to the basement. The first sign of a basement leak will be steam. If present, the entire room should be checked. Common places for leaks are valves or fistulas in horizontal wiring elements.

Often the latter can be hidden under a layer of thermal insulation. It is also necessary to check the elevator unit, where a vent may be open, which drains water from the heating system into the sewer. In addition, we note that the location of the leak is not always located in close proximity to the noise source - sound travels through pipes over long distances.

If a visual inspection has been carried out, no traces of leakage have been identified, but your heating pipes are still knocking, it is necessary to check the entire heating circuit for a decrease in pipe flow. The most common sources of noise in apartment buildings are elevator units and storage silos, in which the slowdown of water flow leads to noise. Quite often, problem areas are identified by ear when walking around the premises.

Half-closed valves, as well as screw valves with valve defects, can create an obstacle to the flow of water. In addition to valves, cracking in heating pipes can be associated with pieces of slag or scale in the pipeline. In the first case, it is necessary to check the functionality of the valves, change them if necessary, and in the second, clean the system, which sometimes requires additional help from a welder.

In case of severe frosts, it is better to postpone such work until the spring. Nowadays, when designing a heating circuit, it is better to use ball valves, which shut off the coolant flow when turned 90 degrees, and you can forget about the valve’s separation if installed incorrectly.

Gurgling noise in the radiator

Air in the pipes is often the cause of continuous bubbling or gurgling in radiators. You can bleed air from the heating system thanks to the Mayevsky valve, which can be located either on the radiator or directly on the pipeline connecting adjacent rooms (in houses with bottom filling). In other cases, it is necessary to check the communications for the presence of a counter-slope.

A misalignment of the radiator or part of the wiring to it can contribute to air stagnation. In the latter case, it is necessary to completely block all communication, which is recommended to be done in the spring-summer season.

Knocking noise from heating appliances

A fairly common problem is periodic clicking. The occurrence of this type of noise can be caused by debris in the riser or radiator, a torn off valve valve, or due to thermal expansion of the riser or radiator due to temperature instability. If it is garbage, then pieces of slag in the heating rotate in the flow of water, knocking on the walls.

To eliminate unpleasant sounds, flushing the pipeline is necessary. If draining the water does not bring any results, then after the end of the heating season it is necessary to dismantle and disassemble the radiator or replace it.

If your house has a heating circuit with screw valves and the pipes are clicking, then first of all you need to check the valve valves. If installed incorrectly, the flow of water can erode the valve, which sooner or later partially or completely comes off. As a result, the flow of water may periodically be blocked for a moment, creating a water hammer.

The latter may be associated with clicks and knocks in the pipeline. In this case, turn off the coolant supply for a short period of time and replace the faulty valve.

In the event of thermal expansion, an intermittent low knocking noise will be heard. This effect occurs due to temperature changes - when it increases, any object expands, and when it decreases, it contracts. In our case, such a physical effect can provoke a slight movement in space (literally up to a few millimeters) of the unfixed end of the heating system.

If the moving part of the pipeline is tightly pressed against something, you can hear a creaking, and in some cases, crackling or clicking sounds. When solving this problem, check the thermal insulation of the pipeline, and also inspect the places where the batteries are attached, and, if necessary, lay fluoroplastic gaskets.

The heating system is the main component of the warmth and comfort of your home and requires control and attention. Improper installation or operation will cause unpleasant troubles, especially in the cold winter. The first signs of failure are the appearance of various types of noise.

Before you figure out why heating radiators make noise in an apartment, you need to find out what type of noise it is. All signs of failure have their own characteristics, by which you can easily determine where exactly the failure occurred.

The batteries are knocking

The reason why heating radiators in a private house or apartment knock is the difference in the diameter of the heating system pipes. This occurs due to the fact that water, being under high pressure, enters a pipe of smaller diameter. To prevent this problem, it is enough to bring the diameter of the pipes to the same value and install a differential pressure regulator for the liquid supply.

The batteries are humming

If there is air in the system, this may be one of the reasons why the radiators are humming. In order to determine whether there is airiness, you need to check the quality of heating. In some sections they may not warm up evenly or remain cold. This means there is air there. Therefore, the batteries begin to hum. To get rid of this, it is enough from the system.

Air entering the radiator occurs when:

• insufficient pressure in the heat supply sections;
• poor installation;
• incorrect startup of the heat supply device;
• increased amount of air in the liquid;
• improper installation of individual parts of the system;
• debris ingress;
• corrosion of the metal body of its elements;
• lack of air duct.

Important! Before venting, check to see if the radiators are making noise, as such symptoms may be caused by the heater not working properly or by debris buildup.

How to bleed air from pipes

Purchase a radiator wrench or screwdriver from a specialized store. Take the container under water. Locate the valve on the battery. Turn it clockwise until you hear air hissing. Lower it until water starts dripping. Wait until the liquid flows in a steady stream. After this, tighten the valve. If there is an automatic air release, use it. Thanks to this, the batteries will stop making noise.

Older batteries may have a valve installed instead of a valve.

The batteries are firing

Sometimes the reason why heating radiators in a private or apartment building sometimes start to fire lies within them. This occurs due to the fact that the pipes are made of metal. This material expands when heated and shrinks when cooled, resulting in a noise similar to shooting. You can prevent close contact with the wall using Merelon, a pipe insulation material.

But this is not the only reason that the heating radiators in the house periodically begin to knock. Noise can also occur due to poor installation of the system. Use the rules that will help you avoid common installation mistakes.

Rules for mounting radiators:

1. The distance from the floor should be 14 centimeters;
2. The distance from the window sill to the battery must be at least 10 centimeters;
3. The distance from the wall should be 5 centimeters;
4. It is necessary to install Merlon between the radiator and the wall;
5. The pipes should be mounted on a flat wall;
6. Raise the edge with the air vent by a centimeter.

Attention! Most radiator manufacturers only provide a warranty if installed by specialists.

The batteries are humming

The reason why heating radiators in a private house or apartment began to gurgle is due to unevenness of the pipes and different cross-sectional diameters. This is due to the fact that water circulating along irregularities and bends encounters obstacles and flows around them. Violation of the fluid permeability indicator provokes the occurrence of gurgling.

In this case, in order to understand why the heating radiators are noisy, you need to get rid of the blockage and check whether the valves are closed and not damaged. If everything is fine with them, use two methods:

1. Cleaning with strong water pressure.
2. Using special chemicals that corrode the garbage. Then it is washed using the first method.

In cases where the blockage has occurred in large quantities and has formed a plug, the help of a welder may be required to clear the debris. Advice. When designing shut-off valves, take into account the possibility of debris ingress and abandon the valve option. Use ball valves only. They are much easier to use and have good wear resistance.

An increased degree of wear and tear of the heating pipes in the apartment also contributes to the appearance of extraneous sounds in the heating system. Check it annually. If it has been determined that the sound comes specifically from the heating radiator, it is necessary to check its condition, and it is better to entrust its replacement to a specialist.

Noise in pipes with a working radiator

When understanding why heating radiators in a private or apartment building crack, it is important to consider the option when the reasons do not lie in the radiator. There are many places where various types of hum and heat supply breakdowns occur, causing pipes to make noise, since it consists of:

1. metal-plastic pipe;
2. direct flow valve;
3. membrane tank for heat supply;
4. circulation pump;
5. radiator;
6. air vent;
7. heating boiler;
8. control valve.

Thus, we can name several possible problems with a working radiator, which entail the appearance of noise.

• It's a boner. Sometimes you can understand why the heating radiator is noisy by paying attention to the riser. After inspecting all the components of the heating supply sections, you will definitely find a wet leak; it must be eliminated immediately! You can do this yourself or with the help of utility company employees.
• The water pump is at fault. The operation of the pump also helps to eliminate the reason why the heating radiator is noisy. If it buzzes, then:
  • — it was installed poorly;
  • — there is air in the heat supply sections;
  • — power does not correspond to the norm;
  • — failure of adjusting washers;
  • — overheating;
  • - wear.

An extraneous hum in the pump itself may be a signal of its unstable operation. Voltage surges lead to desynchronization and uneven operation of the coolant. If the rotor or impeller - parts of the pump - break down, all its components are damaged, and this is also the cause of humming. The quality of the pump’s functioning can only be determined after diagnostics using special equipment.

A hum in a heating device due to a malfunction of the circulation pump can occur due to installation and power mismatch - the rotor should only be positioned horizontally. To determine the hum in the pump, it is necessary to disassemble the entire structure. The pump or its parts should be replaced by a professional.

• Check the heating boiler. After checking the heating batteries and the circulation pump, making sure they are in good condition, you still hear an unpleasant noise. A heating boiler will help you figure this out. If it is not functioning correctly, the frequency of its switching on and off is set incorrectly and creates a crackling noise. The appearance of different types of hum in a heating boiler depends on the fuel used.

• In models running on solid fuel, a cracking sound appears in the chimney. Due to its clogging and reduced air draft. To eliminate this problem, you need to clean the chimney and turn on the heating boiler at full power.

• In gas boilers, failure can be caused by different burner burning frequencies. In this case, the burner must be replaced.
• Heating boilers using diesel fuel emit a whistle that occurs from the nozzle due to an excess of soot, which interferes with heat transfer. To set it up, you need to install a thermostat.

Having found out the reason indicating a boiler malfunction, you can easily understand why the pipes in your apartment or house began to knock. The reason is the control valve. A broken control valve is a common consequence of noise in a heating installation. In this case, the fluid movement is blocked. The water pressure increases sharply and leads to rupture of the heating sections in the house. Repairs to such damage should only be carried out by specialists.

Conclusion

You can determine the cause of sound in the heating system yourself. To do this, check its airiness, connections, install gaskets, distance from the wall and fasteners, and the functioning of the main heating elements. If all these indicators are normal, but there is still a buzzing sound, call a specialist. To find out why the heating battery is noisy, it is necessary to comprehensively consider all possible failure options. Only diagnostics of the entire heating system will help determine the cause of the extraneous sound.

Living in multi-storey buildings, many residents hear extraneous clicks and humming in the heating system. This occurs due to violations of operating and installation rules.

Heating pipes are made of steel, which conducts sound waves well. The round shape of the pipes does not prevent this either.

Heating pipe noises vary. It could be:

• crack;
• periodic clicks;
• knock

All extraneous noise reduces living comfort and often causes leaks and accidents. You will find out why heating pipes are knocking by reading this article to the end.

How to deal with noise in pipes

A hum in heating pipes occurs for a number of reasons:

1. During operation, the diameter of the pipes decreases.
2. Water leak.
3. Installation of pipes of smaller diameter.

If your heating pipes are humming, the first thing to do is look for a water leak. Most likely, it is in the basement. It is easy to detect by a cloud of steam and a trickle of water.

Call a plumber to fix the leak. The hum in the pipes should stop.

Reducing the diameter of the heating pipe is another reason for the occurrence of hum in the pipes. You can detect the location of the noise by ear. Walk along the pipes and try to find the cause of the noise. As a rule, the source of the hum is located in the basement, where the pressure in the pipes is greater than in apartments.

A narrowing of the diameter of heating pipes can occur for the following reasons:

1. Faulty and incorrectly installed shut-off valves that do not guarantee protection of the system from rust, slag or foreign small particles entering it.
2. The formation of plaque inside the pipes, which reduces the diameter of the pipes, as a result of which the pressure in them increases.

The hum can be eliminated by replacing old pipes and valves with ball valves; such problems almost never arise in them. You can open the water discharge valve located above the expected narrowing point. Foreign particles, if there are any in the pipe, will come out of the heating system.

The water in the batteries bubbles and clicks

Such noises occur in an air-filled heating system, and they can also be caused by particles of debris that have entered the system after it has been repaired.

Air is removed from the system using a Mayevsky valve, through which air is discharged from the heating system.

If after this the noise does not stop, then a possible reason is incorrect installation of pipes connected to the heating radiator. A slight misalignment can cause unpleasant sounds.

Crackling and clicking noises can be caused by debris in the radiators or a broken ventilation valve. Open the tap and drain the water; particles may come out of the heating pipes.

Knocking in the pipes

A broken ventilation valve can cause a knocking sound in the heating system. This happens when installed incorrectly. If the valve is installed in the opposite direction, the resulting erosion will lead to its breakage, as a result, a knock will appear in the heating pipe.

A broken vent valve is a serious accident. A sharp increase in water pressure can lead to ruptures in the heating system pipes. The riser urgently needs to be shut off and a plumber called. After the repair is completed, the knocking should stop.

Extraneous noise may occur due to changes in water temperature. Everyone knows that metal objects expand when heated and contract when cooled. If the brackets that secure the pipes are installed poorly, they can cause knocking. When the temperature fluctuates, they will move and knock on the steel heating pipes.

If you live in an old house, then this is the main cause of knocking. You need to go through and check the mounting brackets, if necessary, carry out repair work.

Service providers claim that the temperature of radiators and pipes is constant, but this is not entirely true. It often happens that hot water flows through heating pipes, and then cools down. An open window in an apartment can cause a short-term knock in the pipes.

In the entrances of your houses, you often see open windows, broken glass, and all this leads to temperature fluctuations in the heating system, which means knocking in it.

If the brackets are loosely fastened, but pressed against the wall, there will be no knocking, but an unpleasant creaking sound will appear.

Having studied the causes of noise in the heating system, we can draw a unifying conclusion - the reason is in old pipes and radiators. All of them can be eliminated at once only by carrying out a high-quality overhaul of the entire heating system of a house or entrance. But you can wait for a very long time and not wait. Therefore, in the summer, apartment owners should inspect the heating system and fix minor problems.

Water heating is not always a silent heating system. Sometimes you can hear strange sounds coming from the pipelines. Some of them are completely harmless and can be ignored, while others serve as a signal of serious problems. Let's try to figure out why the water is noisy in the heating pipes, and what can be done about it.

What types of noise can pipelines make?

The sounds emanating from heating system elements are legendary. Under certain circumstances, not only heating pipes make noise in the house, but also other pipelines. At the same time, the sound range of all sanitary systems is approximately the same. The most “musical” ones are metal pipes, but plastic ones can also “delight” with unusual melodies. A water heating system can make a wide variety of sounds:

• murmur;
• gurgling;
• rattling;
• knock;
• crack;
• clicks;
• whistling;

Specific sounds signal the presence of problems in the heating system, so it is necessary to quickly identify and eliminate the source of the noise, since systematic exposure to it leads to disorders of the nervous system, interferes with sleep and reduces performance.
Why is water noisy in heating pipes?

Noise in heating pipes is caused by the following reasons:

• air jams;
• high speed of coolant movement due to incorrectly selected pipeline diameter or a decrease in the internal lumen of the pipe due to overgrowing of its walls;
• coolant leakage in emergency areas or through poorly closed valves;
• scale peeled off from the pipe walls or debris that got into the circuit during installation;
• faulty or incorrectly installed valves;
• excessive pump power or improper installation;
• wear of control valves or thermostatic heads;
• cavitation - the formation of steam bubbles in the coolant in the area of ​​a sharp increase in the diameter of the pipeline (the appearance of an area of ​​​​low pressure) with their subsequent collapse, destroying the equipment;
• violations of installation technology (use, failure to observe the minimum distance between parallel sections of a metal pipeline during installation, installation of a filter or valve not in the direction of flow indicated on it, etc.).

Important! The central heating always turns on noisily. When the system is filling, you can hear the murmur of the coolant, the heating of the circuit is accompanied by clicking sounds, and the air coming out of it is accompanied by a whistle. Maintenance of heating equipment before start-up can also be carried out using impact. Such noises usually disappear once the system is operational and are not a cause for concern.

If extraneous sounds appeared at the height of the heating season or did not disappear after the start-up took place, then this is a signal of the presence of malfunctions, and you should look for malfunctions not only in yourself or your neighbors in the riser, but also in the heating point or elevator unit - the source of the trouble may be far away outside the home, since sound waves travel well through pipes.

Methods for neutralizing noise

The source of noise often turns out to be in the locations of public utilities. The coolant pressure at the heating main entry point is the highest, so the slightest malfunction in it can immediately manifest itself in the form of strange sounds throughout the entire entrance. In a private house, the noisiest place is the furnace or heat generator room, where the boiler and its entire piping system are located.

On a note: Aluminum and bimetallic radiators are especially sensitive to pressure changes. Thin metal transmits any vibrations through itself, like a megaphone. In such heating devices, the slightest technological noise acquires an amplified sound.

If the problem turns out to be a malfunction of collectively owned equipment, then you should not fix it yourself. Worn-out components can literally crumble at the slightest attempt to unwind them, and all the blame will be placed on the one who unauthorizedly interfered with the operation of the “perfectly debugged” system. It is better to send a complaint to the service organization and patiently wait for their representative to repair the faulty components.

A visual reminder with the coordinates of addressees if it is necessary to contact housing and communal services issues

If you were able to diagnose problems within your own or a neighbor’s home, then you should begin to eliminate them as quickly as possible. In this case, any delay is fraught with aggravation of the situation and complication of repair work.

How to get rid of noise in the heating system

Each problem in the heating system creates a type of noise that is characteristic only of it, which is a clue for diagnosis. The list of measures taken depends on the sounds the heating pipes make.

Humming, howling

The loudest and most unpleasant type of noise. Pipes can start buzzing out of the blue and give rise to poltergeist stories. However, mysticism has nothing to do with it, and communication with spirits will not save you from noise in the pipes.

When a hum occurs, you need to look for a coolant leak. First of all, a thorough inspection of your home is carried out, then all neighboring apartments. If everything is dry, then the search continues in the basement. A cloud of steam, a puddle or a whistle will help you easily determine the place where the water is leaking. In apartment buildings, repairs will be carried out by the management company, in private houses - by the owner of the property. After inspecting the problem area, a decision is made on how to eliminate the malfunction - by repairing or replacing the unit; sometimes it is enough to simply tighten a poorly closed valve.

Another reason for the hum may be the use of pipes in the heating system with a diameter smaller than the calculated one. In this case, the problem area is determined by ear, and the required section of the pipeline is replaced with material with greater permeability. With the correct selection of pipes and high-quality performance, you will no longer have to listen to the pipes hum.

Distribution unit of a central heating system in the basement of an old apartment building

Bubbling, crackling and clicking

Particles of debris, sludge or exfoliated scale, when moving through the pipes, hit the walls and rub against them, creating noise in the form of crackling or seething. A characteristic sound when clogged is also a clicking sound. To eliminate this type of noise, it is necessary to flush the system.

Foreign objects in the pipes will click until they come out. Therefore, all liquid is drained from the system through the drain valve. Using a hose, the old coolant with debris is directed into the sewer, the system is additionally washed with water (steel pipes are tapped on the outside with a wooden mallet to remove scale from the inside from the walls), after which the heating circuit is refilled.

Important! Before draining dirty water, it is better to dismantle the drain valve to allow large pieces of debris to come out and not clog the shut-off device.

Quite often, pipes crack and click due to a malfunction of the valve or its installation in the wrong direction of flow. The curved passage hole easily becomes clogged, and over time a plug may form in it, completely blocking the movement of the coolant. Partial blocking of the pipe lumen with debris creates noise when water passes through. If the valve is positioned the other way around, then liquid enters it not from the bottom side of the locking disc, but from above, which leads to destruction of the stem and separation of the valve. In this case, the movement of the coolant will also be accompanied by noise.

The most rational way out of the situation is to replace the valve, since it is already partially worn out in the wrong position and is therefore unpredictable after reinstallation. In the absence of a new unit, you can temporarily install the old one by replacing the sealing material of the threaded connections.

Advice: When choosing new shut-off and control valves, you need to keep in mind that ball (plug) valves are much more practical to use, can be installed in any direction and are not as sensitive to blockages as screw valves.

If you close the ball valve tightly, it can also become a source of noise. This is not a malfunction and can be corrected by opening it slightly or closing it completely. Valves with thermostatic heads can also make noise if the temperature set on them is close to the actual temperature in the room. In this case, the entrance to the radiator is not completely blocked, and the coolant passes through a small hole with a characteristic sound. To get rid of the noise, simply turn the head towards the sprocket.

Murmuring, whistling

When air accumulates, you can hear the water bubbling in the heating pipes - a very common phenomenon. Air can enter the system during repair work, or be sucked in through loose connections - an air lock, regardless of its origin, prevents the normal circulation of the coolant. Not only does the water gurgle annoyingly, but the heating devices do not heat up properly. If an air lock forms that completely blocks the lumen of the pipe, the radiators after the problem section of the pipeline will remain cold.

Air always accumulates at the highest points of the system, since it is lighter than water. This is where special valves or automatic air collectors are usually installed. Radiators located at the end of a horizontal branch must be equipped with a Mayevsky tap. In some types of systems, each heating device has a so-called “air vent”. The units of modern designs can be easily turned by hand; older ones will have to be controlled using an adjustable wrench or a screwdriver.

First of all, you need to try to bleed the air from the radiators of your apartment. The operation begins with the coldest device, if available. Often it is local air pockets that interfere with heating. If this does not give results, then you need to ask your neighbors on the top floor to find the appropriate tap and open it. In difficult situations, it is better to call a qualified plumber. An indicator of success - the release of air - is a characteristic whistle.

Advice: To avoid getting burned, you need to open the Mayevsky tap smoothly, being careful - the hot water in the system is under pressure. In addition, to collect water that will flow from the radiator, it is necessary to first prepare a container of sufficient volume with a wide neck.

Knocking, rattling

The cause of the knocking noise is usually a poorly secured pipe or radiator bracket. The slightest vibration when the coolant passes through such a unit causes rattling, and if the supports are very loose, the radiator hits the fasteners. The system will stop making noise if the brackets are firmly fixed. To dampen vibration, you can install a heat-resistant rubber gasket between the device and the support.

Sometimes knocking noises can be caused by parallel or intersecting pipes being too close together. During temperature deformations, one pipeline begins to touch another, beats against it and becomes a source of noise. Sound insulation can save the situation if the available gap is enough to accommodate it. Otherwise, to eliminate the knocking, you will have to shift the problem area.

In some cases, knocking on heating pipes in apartment buildings is caused by dissatisfaction with neighbors. This type of noise is usually characterized by a lack of periodicity and occurs in the form of a reaction to certain provoking actions. It’s just that all residents have to “enjoy” the specific sounds. Technical measures will not help here; sound insulation can only partially save. Conflicts with neighbors can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Expert advice on preventing unwanted sounds from appearing in the heating circuit

The likelihood of noise in heating pipes can be reduced by adhering to the following professional recommendations:

Important! In searching for the source of noise, a dry stick (the handle of a shovel) can help, one end of which is pressed tightly to the ear, and the other - alternately to the elements of the heating system. In the problem area, the noise will manifest itself louder and clearer.

Conclusion

This article addresses the question at the everyday level: what to do if heating pipes make noise? The first and most important step is to locate the source. Then you need to objectively assess your strengths and the possible consequences of attempting to eliminate the malfunction in order to decide whether to fix the problem immediately or postpone repair work until the end of the heating season.

Some heating problems can be fixed with your own hands, but in difficult cases you cannot do without specialists. In apartment buildings, it is better to entrust the issue to public utilities, without forgetting to control their actions. By responding to noise in pipes in a timely manner, you will preserve your health and nerves, and also protect your heating system from more serious damage.

Why are heating pipes knocking: who is to blame and what to do?

Does noise from the battery interfere with your sleep?

Let's try to figure out why heating pipes make noise and how we can eliminate the causes of this noise.

The case when noise occurs in the heating pipes during normal operation of the system is not something exceptional; Almost everyone has probably encountered knocking or noise in risers.

Let's try to analyze the most common causes of noise of various kinds.

The risers are humming

Most often, residents of apartment buildings complain about a uniform hum or whistle. So why are heating pipes humming?

There are only two main reasons for such noise: a leak in the heating system or a narrowing that prevents circulation, through which a large volume of water passes with difficulty.

Leaks and working vents

Let's use the most reliable tool: logic. If there is a leak somewhere in the heating system a short distance from the apartment, it means that a large amount of hot water is flowing into one of the adjacent rooms.

It's quite difficult not to notice this. So, we have to raid our neighbors. Waterproofing the floors, alas, does not protect against leaks from the upper floors, so if the house has at least half of the neighbors on the riser, the search will not be long.

However, let's assume that all neighbors have dry floors; however, the nerve-wracking whistling continues.

Well, let's take a flashlight and go to the basement.

If we are met by clouds of steam, the investigation can be considered complete: all that remains is to find the location of the leak and eliminate the leak, be it an open vent valve on the riser or a fistula in the drain pipe (horizontal heating distribution pipe).

The fistula, by the way, may well be hidden under thick thermal insulation: all we will see in this case is a stream of hot water running to the ground. Well, we remove the thermal insulation and look for a leak...

The place where water under pressure escapes into the atmosphere, by the way, does not necessarily have to be located near the apartment in which they complain about noise: sounds travel through pipes over a long distance.

Of course, in nearby rooms the noise is more audible, but do not forget that people react very differently to unfamiliar sounds: some will ignore them, while others will suffer night after night in fruitless attempts to sleep.

Don’t be too lazy to get to the elevator unit; it is quite possible that for some reason there is an open drain there, draining water from the heating system into the sewer.

The “reset” operation of the elevator unit is usually used only when starting the heating system for a very short period of time, however, a careless mechanic who has been plagued by complaints from residents about cold radiators may well, instead of agreeing with a higher organization through official channels, change the diameter of the elevator nozzle , simply allow the water to flow from the supply line directly into the drain.

However, we went around the neighbors and examined the basement, but there are no leaks, but the noise continues. We are making the following attempt to understand why heating pipes make noise.

Reducing pipe patency

The next stage will be very difficult: you need to find the source of the noise by ear, simply walking past the pipes and listening to where it becomes stronger. Once we find its approximate location, we can understand what exactly happened.

In apartment buildings, the source of noise can primarily be elevator units and benches - places where the flow of water is fast enough for its deceleration at the narrowing to be acoustically detected.

In the heating riser, the narrowing will simply lead to a significantly lower battery temperature compared to its neighbors; The pressure difference between the supply and return (in the case of bottom filling) risers or between the top and bottom (in the case of a top filling heating system) of one riser is too small.

First of all, half-closed valves or valves with a damaged valve can hinder the flow of water (this, of course, applies to old screw valves); A piece of slag or scale standing somewhere across the pipe can also cause noise in the pipe.

If in the first case you can simply open the valve all the way or repair/replace it (of course, this will require at least a partial reset of the heating system), then in the second, in order for the heating pipes to be cleaned successfully, you may need the help of a welder, and in severe frosts and subsequent heating of frozen risers; in regions with a harsh climate, it is better to leave such work until spring.

However, sometimes it helps to stop the heating using any shut-off valve located along the water flow higher than the problem area, and to open any discharge immediately after the place where the water is shut off: the unfortunate pebble can easily be carried out in a counterflow.

A little advice that will be useful at the design stage in any private or apartment building: when it comes to purchasing shut-off valves, forget about the existence of screw valves and small diameter gate valves. At all. Modern ball valves, which shut off the water by turning the handle ninety degrees, are incredibly more practical, more convenient and create far fewer problems during operation.

Among other things, they do not have those same narrowings under the valve, where, as a rule, ALL the debris flying through the pipes collects, sooner or later blocking the flow of water, regardless of the position of the valve. In addition, for a ball valve it does not matter how it is oriented relative to the water flow: you can forget about the problem of the valve coming off in case of incorrect installation.

Not a very typical example, but it is probably better to mention it as part of the exchange of experience. In the author’s practice, there was a case when the residents of the entrance began to complain: the heating pipes were noisy.

The reason for the continuous noise in the heating riser was the residents' continuous cleaning of the radiator for several days. They sincerely believed that they would be warmer this way. If a materialized antonym for the word “economy” is possible, then the owner of this apartment seriously lays claim to its role.

It’s worth making one more lyrical digression. The above statement that a noise source cannot be located inside the heating riser applies exclusively to apartment buildings with permanent heating distribution.

Where there is a so-called barracks wiring - where all the batteries on the floor are combined into a ring, and even made from a great mind in the wrong way - when the batteries are cut parallel to the main pipe, but in such a way that each battery breaks the ring - any piece of slag on at the entrance to the radiator or at any other narrowing, it can sing a love song to the owners day and night.

Note!

In the case of private houses, the layout of heating devices, which implies the possibility of disrupting the ENTIRE flow of water in the heating system with one interruption, is aggravated by the fact that private boilers are often equipped with a circulation pump that creates a FAST flow of water. At any narrowing it will make quite noticeable noise.

The batteries gurgle

The next cause of noise is air. If something is continuously seething and gurgling in the battery, like in the stomach of a sick cow, that’s it, darling. Soundproofing heating pipes, even if it were done, would not give anything - the sound will be heard through the walls of the radiator.

Are you on the top floor of a house with bottom drain (where both the heating system supply and return pipes are located in the basement)? Then look for a Mayevsky tap on the radiator or jumper between adjacent rooms - a device that helps bleed air.

In all other cases, it is worth looking for a counter-slope (of course, if the heating system works normally in all other respects, except for noise). A radiator hanging skewed or a section of the supply line to it, which is lower near the riser than near the battery itself - this is what you have to fix, most likely in the summer - stopping the heating system in winter for a long time, especially in the harsh climate of Siberia or the Far East, is unlikely would be a good idea.

The batteries are knocking

Another common case is when heating pipes begin to make not a uniform noise or hum, but periodic clicks, as if someone is hitting the radiator with a hammer with tiresome consistency. Drum? Aliens?

Cracking in heating pipes can sometimes be identified by grateful listeners in a very unique way. The author met with a respectable old woman who, in the case described, wrote letters to certain government agencies, assuring that her upstairs neighbors were printing money at night.

So, why do heating pipes click?

In fact, there are only three typical reasons for such immoral behavior of pipes and batteries:

• Debris in the radiator or riser,
• Broken valve valve
• Thermal expansion coupled with temperature instability of the riser or radiator.

Debris in the radiator or riser

Various pieces of slag that have got into the heating device and are now spinning in a leisurely stream of water, periodically tapping on the walls, can be tried to be removed by ordinary washing.

We connected the flushing hose, opened the flushing tap (if, of course, there is one) - and off we go. If you want to know how to flush heating pipes, it’s easy to find videos on the Internet.

However, be prepared for an emergency shutdown of the heating riser: any plumber is ready to list dozens of cases when the notorious piece of scale jammed the flusher, making it impossible to close it.

In the worst case, you will have to remove the heating device (after the end of the season, of course) and disassemble it: in the case of a cast iron or aluminum radiator, unscrew the plugs; in the case of a register, alas, open it with welding.

Torn valve valve

A torn valve is a typical problem with all types of screw valves, never mind. When installed “against the grain”, when the water flow does not come from below the valve, but from above, the inevitable erosion of the valve sooner or later leads to the inevitable end: the valve is completely or partially torn off.

It can completely block the flow of water, leaving a dozen or two apartments without heat, or with a slight distortion it can tumble in the stream, creating turbulence, and periodically block the water flow for a moment, creating a water hammer (an instant stop of water - it is practically incompressible, and the pressure jumps several times in a fraction of a second).

So the heating pipes are knocking. These periodic heavy blows will be unclouded and sincerely rejoiced by the entire entrance, and perhaps more than one.

This is the case when a short-term shutdown of the home heating system to replace the valve is completely justified. An hour of torment with replacement and restart is much more pleasant than warming up and restoring risers and radiators that have defrosted into rubbish in the event that one night the valve finds its desired position and completely blocks the flow of water.

Thermal expansion coupled with temperature instability of the riser or radiator

Finally, the third scenario: periodic quiet knocking in the heating pipes or in the battery. Quietly, like a gnome using a hammer. As annoying as a toothache. The interval is from ten seconds to several minutes. Do we still remember the school physics course? When heated, any body expands slightly. When cooled, it cools down.

If we are talking about a sufficiently long object (for example, a heating riser, fixed on one side in a sleeve welded to the bracket; the bracket, in turn, is tightly fixed to the wall) - then its loose end will move with any significant change in temperature in space by fractions, and sometimes by several millimeters.

If it is pressed tightly against something, you can hear a creak. Only due to the extremely slow expansion and compression will this creak be perceived by the ear as rare clicks in heating pipes.

The problem, to be honest, is more typical for hot water supply systems - simply because there the temperature of the supply is less constant: the water is drained - it heats up, there is no water supply - it cools down. However, cases when a section of the heating system noticeably changes its temperature several times a day is also not something far-fetched.

A typical example is a window that opens for ventilation directly above an aluminum radiator hung on metal pins. Opened it - it cooled down a little, closed it - it warmed up again.

Alas, there is only one method of dealing with the phenomenon: clearly localize the source of the noise, and then eliminate the problem in any available way. Sometimes all you have to do to do this is place a fluoroplastic plate under the notorious radiator on a steel mount, and sometimes you have to break through the ceiling around the heating riser, that is, make it small and fill the cavity with polyurethane foam, followed by re-plastering the ceiling and sealing the floor.