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Expansion couplings

PCerra
PCerra Member Posts: 9
Hi folks

I have a 10 year old house with hot water baseboard heat.  The heating system is extremely noisy with pinging, I guess from expansion.  Personally I think the plumbing contracted screwed up the job and made all the pipe holes too tight going through the walls and floors.  I read on this forum that there "were" some 3/4" copper expansion couplings.  I cannot find them on line.  Does anyone know if these are still available?  If so where can I buy them?  If not are there any suggestions on how I can quiet this system down?  It's worst if the temperature differental in and out is large.  Thanks in advance.

Pat

Comments

  • RJ_4
    RJ_4 Member Posts: 484
    baseboard

    Sounds like you may have air in your system   I would suggest having a hydronic heating contractor take a look at it.
    RJ
  • RobG
    RobG Member Posts: 1,850
    Noisey Baseboard

    Is this a new problem or has this been ongoing since original installation? If it's been going on for 10 years, it sounds like expansion problems. If that's the case you may want to look into an outdoor air reset controller and constant circulation. It may not cure the problem entirely but it will create a slow, constant expansion and contraction that will definitely help. Could you post some pictures of your boiler and near boiler piping as well as some pics of your baseboard ends. The more info the better.

    Rob   
  • PCerra
    PCerra Member Posts: 9
    Additional details

    Thanks for the replies.  Yes this has been going on since day one.  I

    thought it would have subsided by now.  It is very annoying.  The heat

    works great, just real noisy pinging and creaking.   I thought the

    expansion tank was supposed to prevent this.  When you touch the pipe

    when the heat is on, you can feel the pipe on the radiator expand, like

    it is pressurizing.  I will post some pictures of the boiler setup.







    Thanks again
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,318
    The expansion tank has nothing to do with

    the expansion of the piping, just the water volume in the system as a whole. running an out door set back control and constant circulation can help with expansion noises as the pipe changes less due to a more even temp that ramps up and down due to the change in the heat loss of your home. SImply the water in the pipe gets warmer as the outdoors gets colder. This also reduces fuel usage as you only heat the water to the temp you need at that time, not to max temp for a short time then off.
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • PCerra
    PCerra Member Posts: 9
    More info and questions

    I am attaching some pictures of my setup.    Do my gauge settings look normal?  Also would it make sense to put a pressure gauge in the pump coupler to monitor the pump pressure?  Could it be too high and causing more expansion?  It looks like there is a plug there that is 1/4 inch in the photo.



    How would I go about connecting the system as suggested to keep the water circulating?



    I appreciate the assistance.

    Pat
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,318
    The pressure is not causing the expansion noise!!

    The heating of the copper is causing it.
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • PCerra
    PCerra Member Posts: 9
    Options for controlling expansion

    Thanks for your replies.



    It sounds like I need to control the expansion to reduce the noise.



     Are there still expansion couplings available?



     Where can I learn more about outdoor setback controls?  Is this a complete controller unit that gets wired into my existing controls?



    Thanks

    Pat
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,318
    They are called

    an expansion compensator not coupling
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • duffy_4
    duffy_4 Member Posts: 79
    Expansion noises

    That's not a 1/4 plug ,it s a shutoff isolation flange
  • meplumber
    meplumber Member Posts: 678
    Seek out some professional help.

    We all try to offer good advice here. And sometimes that advice is for you to seek out professional help. Now is one of those times. You are obviously way over your head here. If you start to fool around with your system with the limited knowledge that you are exhibiting here, you could do some serious damage to the system, your house, or worse, your family.



    Time to step back and seek out a competent heating professional. Tell him about the noise and let him find and correct it.



    Good Luck.
  • PCerra
    PCerra Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for all the input

    Thanks folks I appreciate your comments and input.
This discussion has been closed.