The copper pipes running from my boiler creak and bang when the heat comes on and again when the pipes cool down. It only occurs on one of my heating zones. The noise is from the pipe rubbing against the joists. The pipes are hung with copper straps.
The noise isn’t happening on each joist. I’m guessing it could be:
1. the pipe wasn’t hung straight
2. the pipe is too tight to the joist, or
3. the pipe isn’t tight enough against the joist.
Can someone give me some advice on how to get rid of the noise? I want to fix it before the ceiling drywall goes in.
Thanks.
Replies
Greetings Scott,
As a first time poster Welcome to Breaktime.
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
when in doubt add garlic
Hey Scott,
Is this for radiant heat? It sounds like you may need a hot water expansion tank and pipe insulation around your hot lines to slow the effects of the expansion and contraction created by the heating and cooling of the water in the loop.
-Day
Pipes should be aloud to expand & contract freely when they heat & cool.
You probably have a pipe tight to the structure that is releasing when expansion and or contraction is occurring.
When asked why is there four engines on a 747------ "cause we couldn't fit six" a Boeing engineer
pipe is too tight..
gotta find some way to loosen it up and let it flex..
you may need an expansion tank on that line....
supply line? return? or all of it creaking / banging???
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Some answers to the posts:This is a radiant system, baseboard heat.The system does have an expansion tank. I don't think the tank is the issue, since the noise only occurs on one heating zone of 3. But I could be wrong.I think the noise is coming from both lines: the supply and the return.The pipe is hung with copper strap hangers (I don't know what they're called, they're half round). Is there a better hanger to use?Thanks for the feedback.
I'm pretty sure that air in the pipes can cause this.
You gota insulate your pipes. It will help alot with the noise and with saving energy.
#2 is the correct guess.
There are two common ways to accomodate thermal expansion of pipes. One is to install the pipe with expansion loops in the line every 20 to 30 feet or so. This is commonly done with long, straight runs. In your case, I would slightly loosen the screws that hold the pipe straps tight to the joists to allow the pipes to expand freely. What you hear is the pipe slipping in the pipe strap once the force is great enough to overcome the friction.