Noisy Radiators

[cbasnett]

Good Morning,

We've relatively recently moved house and have very noisy radiators upstairs, to the point that they'll happily wake us up.

Had a plumber out to look at the issue today who said something along the lines of "I'm a very experienced plumber and I've never heard anything like this before". I'd done some diagnostics before calling them out and noticed that the TRV's are on the return pipes rather than inlets.

The moment I mentioned this to him he seemed to decide that all the TRV's upstairs should be replaced and that "might" solve the problem. Suffice to say I'm not bowled over with confidence at the level of diagnosis that was performed.

I've read previously about single direction TRV's causing a hammering type noise when on the return pipes. The noise appears to occur when either of the two radiators (out of four upstairs + towel rail) have the TRV head anything other than closed (including removed entirely so presumably fully open). The noise only stops when both valves are fully closed.

Are we barking totally up the wrong tree here? I appreciate that replacing the TRV's is a fairly cheap job, at least in terms of parts, but as I said, I've not got much confidence in the level of diagnosis that was conducted!

Opinions welcome

 

[ianmcd]

post a close up pic of the TRVs most modern ones are bi-directional, some need to be manually set, if you do indeed have single directional flow valves, no need to replace them simply turn them round

 

[cbasnett]

 

[ianmcd]

That is a bi-directional flow valve so in theory it shoildnt make a noise, but your sysmtoms are faulty valves , some are very poor and are not true bi-directional, post another pic of the whole valve including sensor so I can see which make it is please

 

[cbasnett]

Apologies, one of them is upside down.

 

[ianmcd]

Not a make I have heard of or can find online, can you remove the sensor and take a pic with the sensor removed, no tools needed, set valve to max and just screw the large chrome ring to slacken and the sensor just pulls off

 

[cbasnett]

Pic of the TRV head/sensor or of the valve pin?

Worth noting noise persists regardless of the presence of the head.

is as best as I can get to illustrating the noise, seems fairly quiet in the video I can assure you in real life it's not!. Still lingers slightly even with the valve fully closed but if I fully close the other radiator it is silent.

 

[muggles]

Entity is Plumbase's own-brand range. They'll be bargain basement valves. Is the noise a hammering or a rushing water kind of noise? What boiler do you have?

 

[cbasnett]

Entity is Plumbase's own-brand range. They'll be bargain basement valves. Is the noise a hammering or a rushing water kind of noise? What boiler do you have?

Noise is in the video above (just posted). The clunking is me turning the TRV head to demonstrate. I'd say it's more like a rushing sound. Boiler is an ideal 35c, no radiators downstairs are anything but silent, two upstairs loud enough to wake my wife who sleeps through almost anything.

For some reason the audio is ridiculously quiet when I transfer from phone, unsure why. Wonder if youtube is thinking it's static and trying to be clever.

 

[ianmcd]

The clunking is classic TRV noise the rushing sound isnt, the visable copper pipework looks well enough installed, but if that then joins on to PE below the floor that could be the cause of the rushing sound , I have had that before.

I did a lot of work years ago with Danfoss, when they brought out their first Bi-directional valves they were total crap and noisy, they came up with a saying HOFVOR meaning the valve orientation should br horizontal on the flow vertical on the return, by that thinking you could turn the vaves and see if it stops not a big job

 

[ianmcd]

Pic of the TRV head/sensor or of the valve pin?

The valve pin , some have a direction adjustment thing on them, , but just found an ad for those valves for £5 a pair for the TRV and the lockshield when bought with certain rad brands, so what does that tell you about the quality of them

 

[cbasnett]

The valve pin , some have a direction adjustment thing on them, , but just found an ad for those valves for £5 a pair for the TRV and the lockshield when bought with certain rad brands, so what does that tell you about the quality of them

Nothing obvious on the valve pin. Sounds like I might have to get a second "In person" view, it's ultimately got to be sorted before it drives us completely potty.

 

[cbasnett]

So exciting update and excellent cause and effect.. The noise in the radiators stops almost immediately when the boiler is heating water for taps. Thoughts?

 

[ianmcd]

So exciting update and excellent cause and effect.. The noise in the radiators stops almost immediately when the boiler is heating water for taps. Thoughts?

it will do, when you run a hot tap the water from the boiler is diverted through the internal plate heat exchanger and water doesnt flow through the radiators at the same time, that is just how a combi works

 

[cbasnett]

it will do, when you run a hot tap the water from the boiler is diverted through the internal plate heat exchanger and water doesnt flow through the radiators at the same time, that is just how a combi works

Ah, nevermind then!