What to do if a radiator makes noise
In general, silence is easy where radiators are concerned, and whilst some may favour brave, bold and loud selections aesthetically, a noisy radiator from a sound perspective can trigger homeowner fear.
But if you do notice a dreaded din emerging from your home heating devices, what can you do to rectify? And are some sounds specifically a cause for greater concern than others?
In this blog, we’ll discuss all types of different radiator noises, explaining what they mean and how they can be combated so you can get back to watching your favourite soaps, or the football, in relative peace.
Radiators making a gurgling noise
Gurgling noises are one of the very most common sounds that emanate from radiators, the cause of which is trapped air within that is desperate to escape. Essentially, whilst hot water is used to heat up radiator pipes, air can sometimes become trapped with said water, leading to the forming of radiators cold spots, typically at the foot of the device.
How to fix a gurgling radiator
The process of bleeding a radiator offers the most simple and common fix for a gurgling radiator. In fact, it is highly recommended that home radiators are bled at least once a year ahead of the colder winter months to make sure they’re primed to perform when you need them the most.
There’s a full detailed guide on how to bleed a radiator in the BestHeating Advice Centre, but as a brief outline, do the following…
Switch off the heating and loosen the valves on each radiator by turning the bleed key anti-clockwise. A hissing noise will occur as air is let free – close the valve again once the hissing has ceased and the excess air has escaped.
After bleeding, radiators should no longer emit a gurgling sound, and should heat up in a far more efficient manner in turn.
Radiators making a banging noise
If you notice your home radiators making a banging noise, the most common cause will be ‘kettling’, which refers to a congregation of limescale within a central heating system, as opposed to the radiators themselves.
On the map, hard water regions are susceptible to kettling, such as the East and South of England, so these areas might be more prone to the presence of banging radiators (noise-wise, not the way the young uns might refer to BestHeating designs).
How to fix a banging radiator
Some instances of kettling can be curtailed by draining the radiators to release trapped air and water. To do so, you need to make sure the gas and boiler supply are switched off, then turn off the intake valve and allow the radiator some time to cool down before re-opening the drain valve. Place a bowl beneath the radiator to catch any liquid that it releases, before switching the valve off and turning everything on again.
For more serious and involved cases where the banging persists after these measures have been taken, a heating system flush could be required. A boiler power flush will make sure all grime and limescale is eliminated, thus reducing noise and increasing the efficiency of your home heating. More information can be found in our guide entitled How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System.
Radiators making a clicking noise
The very most frequent of radiator noises come in the form of creaks and clicks, and these sounds aren’t actually out of the ordinary. Usually, clicking is resultant from the expansion of the metal as hot water flows into a radiator. In similar fashion, as the radiator cools down, the metal will contract as the hot water decreases in temperature.
How to fix a clicking radiator
Clicking radiator sounds can largely be expected when a home heating system is initially turned on or off. As such, there isn’t really a need to worry about a fix, unless the noises persist and change to one of the alternative outputs suggested in this article.
Radiators making a running water noise
Air pockets can be the root cause of radiators that are making a sound of dripping or running water. Whilst radiators and alternate devices like heated towel rails will typically rely on water as a heat source, it shouldn’t make an audible sound, so in all likelihood, the trapped air will be preventing the water from travelling around the radiator pipes properly.
How to fix a running water radiator
A radiator that makes a running water noise is another type that can be cured via the process of bleeding a radiator. Make sure all the trapped air within is allowed out, enabling a steady water flow to circulate throughout your radiator pipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Domestic radiators can make clicking and creaking noises as a result of the expansion of metal as hot water flows into a radiator. As such, radiators making a clicking noise can be a very common occurrence.
These radiator clicking sounds are to be expected when a home heating system is switched on or off, and therefore there isn’t any real need to seek out a cure unless the sounds develop into something of a different ilk.
To find out more, take a look at our dedicated blogs, Noisy Radiators: Diagnostics and Cures, and How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System.
Home radiators tend to make gurgling noises on account of trapped air within them, which is trying desperately to escape the component. Though hot water is used to heat radiator pipes, air can occasionally become trapped with this water, leading to cold spots at the bottom of the radiator.
To fix the issue, bleeding a radiator is the most simple and common means to use. It is generally recommended that radiators are bled at least annually anyway, so they are primed for optimal use in the colder winter months of the year.
For a more detailed insight, take a look at our dedicated blogs, Noisy Radiators: Diagnostics and Cures, and How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System.
Typically, the process of ‘kettling’ leads to domestic radiators making a banging noise. This refers to a build-up of limescale within a central heating system, rather than in the actual radiators.
Regions with hard water supplies are more prone to kittling, such as South and East areas of England, so banging radiators could tend to be more prominent in these places.
To combat relatively minor instances of kettling, you can drain your radiators to allow trapped air and water to escape. But for more complicated cases where banging noises persist after draining, a heating system power flush might be needed to eradicate all limescale and grime from the boiler.
For a more detailed insight, explore our dedicated blogs, How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System, and Noisy Radiators: Diagnostics and Cures.
The forming of air pockets within home radiators will usually be responsible for the sound of running or dripping water emerging from them. Although radiators usually require water to generate heat, it shouldn’t make a noticeable sound, so this usually means trapped air is preventing the water from travelling around the pipes properly.
Typically, bleeding a radiator can fix the issue of radiators making a running water noise. Make sure that all the trapped air is released so that a steady flow of water can travel through the rad pipes.
For further information, take a look at our dedicated blogs, How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System, and Noisy Radiators: Diagnostics and Cures.
It is perfectly normal for domestic radiators to click and creak – it is an occurrence born of the expansion of metal as water flows into the radiator.
Usually, these clicking noises will happen when a central heating system is switched on or off, and should be of no real cause for concern unless the noises begin to audibly alter.
For a more detailed insight, take a look at our dedicated blogs, How To Cure A Noisy Central Heating System, and Noisy Radiators: Diagnostics and Cures.
A tapping noise is usually caused by a thermostatic valve that hasn’t been fitted correctly.
In many instances, the radiator valves have been switched by mistake. This is especially the case if you have recently installed new radiators.
Learn more about noisy radiators and how to fix them, in our noisy central heating guide.
Typically, turning the radiator valve to full will succeed in stopping your radiators from whistling.
The whistling sound can be caused by radiators having too much water flowing through them, but is thankfully easy to combat.
Learn more about noisy radiators and how to fix them, in our noisy central heating guide.
In general, there is nothing wrong when radiators make a ticking noise, and little that can be done to stop the sound.
Essentially, the noise occurs as radiators are heating up or cooling down, and is completely normal, even if it can be a touch irritating sometimes.
If sounds from your radiator worry you a little too much, you can learn more about noisy radiators and how to fix them in our noisy central heating guide.
Usually, the cause of a noisy radiator is trapped air inside it – you’ll likely notice the sound when the heating is switched on.
Our blog on how to cure a noisy central heating system offers a more in-depth explanation.
Get in touch with BestHeating
You should hopefully have a decent idea about which radiator sounds mean what, and the types that pose a greater cause for concern than others at this point.
But if you would like any further information regarding how to identify certain sounds or what to do when your radiator makes noise, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the BestHeating team or pay a visit to our Noisy Central Heating Guide to see if there is anything in there that may help you!
We’re always on hand to help with all aspects of home heating, and you can contact us by commenting below, or via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
With a background in sports journalism, John counts content writing amongst his key passions. He’s always peppering our Advice Centre feed with reasoned and researched home heating tips, and providing expert solutions to the questions you want answering. Fine football and music connoisseur. In his own head, at least.
