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Loud banging from wall (with video)

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ts004i
ts004i Member Posts: 8
in THE MAIN WALL

Hello,

I have hydronic baseboard heat and for the 5 years that we've lived in our house we have had very loud clicking and banging from one spot in the wall on the second floor (see video below for the sound ). It happens when the heat turns on then stops after about 30 seconds. It's loud enough to wake people up at night. The first floor zone is silent.

I know it's air in the pipes, but should we rip open the wall to see if the pipe is rubbing against something, or focus on eliminating the air first?

Unfortunately our system doesn't have bleeder valves or an air eliminator. Would it be smarter to have someone install those first, before opening the wall?

Any insight into how to approach this would be greatly appreciated!

https://vimeo.com/1105577706

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,566

    it is the pipe is pinned in some place so as it expands it rubs against framing or the floor or something. might also not be arranged in such a way that it can expand. I'd start by opening/removing the end caps and trim to see if it is just rubbing against the flooring somewhere but it is more likely that it is rubbing against framing somewhere. a stethoscope might help locate where to look.

  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,466

    So there is no fitting for air bleeding under those doors?

    It would behoove you greatly to add air bleeders to one end of each convector and also an air separator at the boiler.

    For the convectors one could drill and tap the top of the elbows for a 1/8" coin air vent. Then solder the fitting in place. We are talking only 12-15 PSI pressure.

    Just an air vent on one end of the BB heater.

    The system would have to be drained for this project. I would do all of the heaters on both floors.

    This may not stop your problem but you will need the air bleeders in the future.

    The auto air bleeder at the boiler should prevent air from accumulating in the system.

    How about pictures of the boiler piping, floor to ceiling all sides.

    mattmia2Eurora
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,566

    It may be a compression tank system. The noise in the video sounds like expansion noise from improperly installed pipe.

  • ts004i
    ts004i Member Posts: 8
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1861188#Comment_1861188

    Thanks, no there are no bleeder valves, I end up needing to flush the pipes a couple times per year from the basement to bleed air. Here are a couple boiler photos if that helps. Seems like there should be an air eliminator above the expansion tank but I don’t have one.

    IMG_7390.jpeg IMG_7386.jpeg
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,566

    There should be a microbubble air separator with an automatic air separator between the boiler and the circulator.

    you may be able to eliminate most of the noise by setting a reset curve that makes the boiler run long cycles at a low temp at warm outdoor temps so the expansion happens more slowly and it always stays warm.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,869

    That's not air. That's some nasty expansion. Open the wall.

    mattmia2
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,681

    Expansion, and that pipe needs to be properly secured once the wall is opened.

    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,566
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1861209#Comment_1861209

    or set a reset curve that keeps it matching the loss so it only changes temp gradually and is constantly heated.

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