Noisy trv's

Hi lads i have a couple of rads with noisy trv's sometimes they whistle or make hissing noises they stop making a noise if you turn them full on or if you turn them a little bit but the noise soon comes back with the latter, adjusting flow valves make no difference "only if you turn them off" the make of the trv's are salus would swapping them over for different trv's help? Or is there another solution? Thanks

 

By flow valves, you mean the lock shield valve on the other end?
If so, and your system was balanced with them, adjusting them has likely messed up the balancing.

Noise can be due to a high flow rate, or a pump pushing just one rad without a bypass open somewhere.
Pictures would help (pump, rad valves, bypass if so fitted)

Has it always done this or just started recently?

Make sure the system is set correctly (usually they are not) before changing stuff....

 

That is usually a sign that the TRV's have been fitted to the return end of the rad, rather than the flow end. There are some TRV's made to work at either rad end, even though some later prove noisy. For a quick way to check which end is which - Starting with heating cold, the flow end of the rad will become warm before the return end.

 

I've had this problem with cheap TRVs. Changing to Drayton TRV4's solved it immediately.

 

The Salus are very much bargain-bucket

 

Thanks for that when replacing can you just swap heads over or so you have to replace the whole fitting? "Edit" and do you have to swap the valve at the other end as well ?Cheers

 

Swapping heads won't change the flow noise. You need to change the valve.

Because the other valve is probably as poor as the TRV, i'd change them both.
Myson 2 way TRV set can includes a lockshield valve and can operate in most configurations and are cheap enough.

Swapping the valve at the other end is going to need balancing (you've messed with this anyway so its gonna need doing regardless).

If you are doing this yourself, remove the rad altogether and flush it out in the back garden with a hose. In fact, do them all whilst you are at it.
Then look at the pump and make sure its set correctly and then......

 

Fit a Danfoss trv

 

Thanks ita basically a new system fitted a few months ago with cheap valves so may not need flushing just the valves changing thanks for your advice

 

Well, no...

It is no shock to find that this system has just been installed. The industry is a mess so i wouldn't automatically assume it has been installed correctly.
New valves won't reduce the flow rate causing the noise.....

Go and have a look at the pump. Is it set to max speed?
How many rads do you have? Have they had the lockshield valves set?
A suggestion is to go round the rads to the lockshield valves and close them, taking note of how EXACTLY many turns each take,
If the valves are all fully open, then the system has not been balanced at all.
Or, if it's been just shoved in, you may find the valves are all nearly closed and making the flowrates in other parts bad.
A common trick where lockshield valves are in a mess is is to set all of the lockshield valves to 1/2 turn, this should be a decent average for the system (the valves are sensitive on the fisrt turn or not).

So, once armed with what the valves are set at now, set them to the 1/2 turn trick and see how you get on. you can always revert back to the settings they were at if you think they were done correctly (I doubt it).

If you know the rads are all fed from a manifold, then just open the lockshield valves fully.

The above is what i would do, but i am not a plumber.
Go around and reset the lockshields to 1/2 turn. Make sure the pump speed is on 1 and see how it works out.
If the system don't like speed 1, try speed 2.
If the rads are heating unevenly, trim lockshields to suit.


Best of luck. I am sure a plumber will be along to give you a correct answer but i feel you shouldn't be rushing to the system with the spanners just yet.

 

It is the actual water valve, which creates the noise and heads are not usually compatible, so it a complete swap. If doing that, you may as well simply swap the TRV you have, rad end for end.

 

Then get the installer back

 

Im not sure where the pump would be and how to check it all the lock valves were set to full on and i have 5 rads the installer said i closed the rad without the trv on and the water has nowhere to go and that i must have damaged the valves and they wont replace them cheers for advice

 

Hi they say i may have damaged the valves by having the rad without a trv on and wont do anything cheers

 

He he talking rubbish I think - he made a muck of it and wants to wipe his hands of responsibility. Tell him to sort it out properly.

He is correct that the one radiator without a TRV does need to be left wide open - that radiator has to ensure the water has somewhere to go, when all the TRV's close at the same time. The room stat should be located in the same area as that radiator too.