You probably don’t give your central heating boiler much thought when it’s working properly. Once you set your thermostat and forget about it, your boiler operates behind the scenes providing you with quiet, energy-efficient heat.
However, sometimes your heating system may start making noises that catch your attention. Fortunately, your HVAC contractor can troubleshoot your system and quiet your noisy boiler, often without resorting to expensive repairs.
Here are some common causes of boiler noises and some steps your boiler pro might take to eliminate them:
- Scale buildup. Minerals in our Indianapolis water supply can form a dense layer of scale in your boiler, which can interfere with heat transfer and energy efficiency. Uneven heating and hot spots cause isolated boiling when your overall tank temperature is supposed to stay below the boiling point. Steam bubbles rise, and then collapse when they reach cooler water, which can create a “kettling” noise. Your boiler technician may be able to remove mineral scale by treating your water with chemical additives for a few days, followed by flushing your tank with fresh water.
- Oversized or malfunctioning equipment. Kettling can also be caused by a burner that’s too large for your boiler or a boiler thermostat that isn’t keeping the water temperature below the boiling point.
- Low water pressure. An inadequate water supply can cause your boiler to overheat, leading to kettling. This occurs if your pipes freeze or if the makeup water supply pressure is too low.
- Air in the system. Air can get sucked into your system via leaky pipes or faulty valves. Air pockets entrained in hot water can make popping and gurgling noises in your pipes and radiators. If this occurs, your technician will bleed air from your radiators to temporarily stop the noise. However, the source of the air will have to be identified and repaired for a permanent fix.
Call Mowery Heating, Plumbing and Cooling for help with a noisy boiler in your Indianapolis home. Our technicians can restore your system to its usual, quiet operation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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