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Baseboard System driving us NUTS noisy noisy

bob young
bob young Member Posts: 2,177
my friend , there are plumbers and there are wanna be plumbers a/k/a " butchers " In n.y.c. most jobbing and alteration plumbers are excellent heating installion mechanics. especially for one and two family residences. chances are the former owner was a jack of all trades helper.

Comments

  • Marc Finn
    Marc Finn Member Posts: 28
    Noisy baseboards FRUSTRATED IN NJ

    The baseboards in our house constantly TICK. Several other plumbers have heard the constant ticking and said that is the normal expansion and contraction. The ticking is all the time 24X7 and very annoying. The one contractor who has done other work for me said no matter what is done there is no guarentee it will work.


    The last "contractor" who entered my house suggested putting a foam like substance around all the pipes in the basement and inside the baseboards for $450. He said this alone would fix 90% of the problem. Did I believe him enough to hire him. NO I DID NOT.

    Several other plumbers have heard the constant ticking and said that is the normal expansion and contraction. The one contractor who has done other work for me said no matter what is done there is no guarentee it will work.

    In additon, we hear banging in the walls which gets significantly louder the colder it gets.

    Any suggestions. We cannot take the noise anymore.

    We have spent about 1000 for plumbers to come in and to not make it any better.
  • Marc Finn
    Marc Finn Member Posts: 28
    More doubts

    the former owner was a PLUMBER.
  • Joe_13
    Joe_13 Member Posts: 201
    Constant when the heats on, right?

    I would also check the high and low limits of the boil to make sure you're not going through great temp changes of the water. (140 low 180 high) After installing some new baseboard in my home, I noticed the plastic glides placed under the fin tube where it rests inside on the baseboard hanger which were not on my 40 year old baseboard. I took strips of thin soft plastic like from milk jugs and placed them under the old fin tube where it touched the rigid hanger. This helped a great deal. The fin tube must float as much as possible. Look for places where it might be strapped down tightly restricting expansion. Lack of air elimination is another cause for the banging sounds.
  • Marc Finn
    Marc Finn Member Posts: 28
    Constant when the heats on, right?

    yes constant tick tick tick 24X7. In a house owned by a FORMER PLUMBER

    Need help in NJ. Otherwise, we go electric soon.
  • DIY Homeowner
    DIY Homeowner Member Posts: 48
    Constant circulation/Outdoor reset

    Would constant circulation and outdoor reset help with noise problems in baseboard hot water heat?

    If the noise is caused by expansion/contraction of the piping and radiators, it would seem that reducing/eliminating the temperature swings of the system would make much of the noise go away.

    Does this sound reasonable?
  • Marc Finn
    Marc Finn Member Posts: 28
    Does this sound reasonable?

    How can I accomplish this. I am not a handy person. Just a frustrated homeowner looking to learn and get 1 DECENT NIGHT SLEEP.
  • Joe_13
    Joe_13 Member Posts: 201
    Still need a hydronics guy

    What Ed is suggesting is wiring the circulator to be constantly pumping durring the winter season. You then get an electronic control with an outdoor temp sensor and a mixing valve that would slowly mix in hotter boiler water into the zone to match the heat needed by the zone. The BB would warm up and cool down slower as the thermostat's called for heat. Don't just get a regular plumber, please use someone who specializes in hydronic heat. Another option might be to replace fin tube BB with cast iron HW BB in bedrooms. Expensive but probably easy to do. Check out www.burnham.com for their Baseray line of cast iron BB, also Slant-fin's Rhino-cast. Look into Euro style panel radiators @ www.runtalnorthamerica.com
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    pipework

    if the pipe entry holes where the piping passes thru partitions and floors are cut too tight so as to not allow for movement and expansion you can encounter squealing ,pinging etc. and in extreme cases leaking or burst joints.
  • Like Joe and Ed say

    constant circulation is your best bet . You're gonna find there is no easy fix when 70 degree copper in the baseboard is blasted with 180 degree boiler water . I know - it happens in my home too . I tried the waxy cardboard in milk cartons to isilate the pipe , spraying WD40 in the holes , it don't work . I will be trying Honeywell's constant circulation control on my own this coming winter . Very reasonably priced also .
  • Steve Eayrs
    Steve Eayrs Member Posts: 424


    Your boiler may not be designed to run at temp. below say 130-140 deg., and most likely isn't if its cast iron and oil fired.


    As others have said constant circulation and outdoor reset should take care of your problems. The mixing valve, injection pump, or similar will be needed to do this and still run your boiler at its higher design temp.. Can also use the same controls to reset the boiler itself, down to a safe min. temp..


    I am fond of Tekmar controls for this, and they have pleny of models of controls to match your needs.


    When looking for someone to do this for you, I would eliminate any who don't know what you are talking about when you mention outdoor reset, or constant circulation at lower temp's, that change automatically as the outdoor temp. changes.


    Also sounds like some of you noise problems are due to the installer drilling too small holes through the floor joists. A 3/4" copper pipe works best when you drill 1-3/8" holes and use insulator between the pipe and wood joists.


    Being a plumber does not make a person a heating expert, any more than being a carpenter makes you a concrete finisher. Don't let a bad install fool you into thinking all boiler systems are like this. They can be most quiet type of heat around, when installed right.


    Steve
  • nick z.
    nick z. Member Posts: 157
    Where in N.J.?

    are you located? I'd like to take a look at this.
    e-mail me as be off the wall for a few days.
  • Marc Finn
    Marc Finn Member Posts: 28
    Hackensack, NJ area

  • Joannie
    Joannie Member Posts: 96
    Clarification

    Todd,

    Twice you noted that it ticks ALL the time, 24/7. It seems that people are reading that it ticks when the thermostat is calling for heat or when the boiler is on. That's why someone asked "Constant when the heats on, right.?

    I just thought you should clarify if this ticks all the time, 24/7, or if you just hear it when the boiler kicks in, or when the thermostat is calling for heat. That could be a big difference.


This discussion has been closed.