Pipes banging like a Led Zep drum solo

[StevieJB]

Help me please......I've just had a brand new Vokera compact combi boiler installed in repacement for an v. old imersion system using the same pipes & radiators (all of which bar one have thermostatic valves). It works fine and heats up water quickly however once the central heating starts the pipes beneath the floorboards bang like a drum solo (not much fun at 6.30am). The boiler is operating at about 1.5 bar and we like n the bottom of a valley with high water pressure. The banging pipes only happen on the 1st floor of the building near to the boiler.

 

[Bahco]

Get your boards up and check whether the pipes are adequately supported by clips and have lagging where they touch the joists.
Or, you could ask the squirrel to leave

 

[kevplumb]

and make sure thwy are not touching any where

 

[StevieJB]

Cheers lots for the advice - will investigate the pipes at the weekend. Would reducing the operating pressure or central heating boiler temperature also help?
I live in Leeds - you can't mess with squirrels up here.

 

[Spleurker]

I had this same problem.
When I pulled up the floorboards to investigate, I found that the noise was coming from places where the pipes were tight up against something. Either another pipe, or flooring joist. I made good clearance for the pipes where they went throught joists, made clearances to stop pipes being forced together, and lagged any areas where the pipes were supported or touching anything.
I now have silent pipes and no early morning wake up calls

 

[StevieJB]

Thanks again - I'll be spending most of the weekend dismantling my sons bedroom to find these pipes - I've isolated the banging to 4 specific areas so it does seem likely that it's the pipes rubbing against joists. I've been told to pad out these rubbing areas with soft felt and use standard insulating foam to lag the pipes.

Cheers for the advice everyone!!!!

 

[kevplumb]

wots rong wit led zep like???

 

[StevieJB]

Nothing at all - providing they don't play live under my floorboards at 6 in the morning (pesky rock stars - up all night!!)

 

[AJP]

When you find where the pipes are touching, try some foam filler if the areas are out of reach. This will fill the gaps and secure the pipes. Does work.

 

[StevieJB]

Right then.....managed to get the floorboards up to find the culprit - one of the central heating pipes is tight flush to the plasterboard ceiling of the room below. As I can't really gouge down into the 9.5mm thick plasterboard without damaging downstairs can I gently pull the offending pipe up and support it with clips? Or is it best to get a proper plumber to fit extensions into the pipe to raise it of the plasterboard? I am clearly out of my depth.

 

[kevplumb]

you should be able to move it a bit but be carefull

 

[kevplumb]

not playing "moby dick " by any chance
are they

 

[StevieJB]

...it certainly isn't Whole Lotta Love........believe me!!!!

 

[StevieJB]

Happy ending to my pipe story....followed the culprit pipe down right to the crawl space beneath the ground floor to find that one of the pipes had come away from it's clip and had dropped down by 2-3cm - causing it to rub on the plasterboard ceiling of the room above. So, by gently pushing the pipe back to where it originally was and fixing it in place ......NO MORE NOISE . Thanks for all the advice given on this fab website. Cheers Lots!!!

 

[brumylad]

Good on yer dude. I'll remembe this one.

is the pipe boxed in during its vertical rise to the first floor then ?