Why does my radiator clang after releasing steam?

thegoodtribe

Hi everyone. The radiator right outside our baby's room on the 3rd floor lets out a large "CLANG" immediately after releasing steam. Sometimes it also does this right before releasing the steam. Any suggestions on how we can stop the clangs so our baby can sleep peacefully?



Thanks!

nicholas bonham-carter

releasing steam?

if this is a 1-pipe, or 2-pipe system, then no steam should be released. perhaps you are thinking of the air vent on a 1-pipe radiator releasing the air inside, so the steam can enter the rad, and heat. this may be due to the wrong sort of vent [too fast], or high system pressure, or the valve being part closed.take a picture of the radiator and post it here. can you read your pressure at the boiler?--nbc

Hap_Hazzard

Thermal expansion

I'm not an expert on this, but I think what causes this is that, if the truss rods aren't tight enough, they allow the push nipples that connect the sections together to move in and out of their sockets when the radiator expands and contracts as it heats and cools.



One of mine does this, and while the rods aren't obviously loose, they didn't seem to have as much tension on them as I thought they should, but I wasn't about to mess with them. I'll sometime this summer if I can get some information on the torque values--and I can get some replacements to go in if I strip or break them.

Big-Al_2

Air Vent Noise

I think the OP is hearing the air vent opening and closing.  Depending on the brand, some of the alcohol-filled snap action ones can really make a loud clank when they actuate.  I still have cylindrical Watts branded vents on a couple of radiators. These are just like the imported ones available at the local big-box stores.  They sound like somebody shot them with a BB gun when they close.  The Hoffman #40 vents are a lot quieter, as are the slow-acting bi-metal units by Gorton or Maid-O-Mist.