If you have radiant heating in your Toronto home, that means you have radiators. Since you have radiators, you may have noticed some odd sounds or noises coming from them during this past winter. The tink, bang, or clang, the popping sound, the rattle … these are all sounds that could be the result of problems in the heating system.
Depending on the actual type of heating system you have, whether it’s hot water or steam, will determine the type of noise that you may experience within your radiators. No matter what it causing the noise, it’s a sign that it’s time to call in expert HVAC professionals to not only diagnose the problem, but to also fix it.
Potential Heat Loss from Improperly Set Radiators
When your home’s radiators are not working properly, it’s going to impact how efficient your heating system is. For example, if the radiator supply valve is closed, even partly, this will cause the heating system to not function properly and you won’t be getting the full amount of heat that your furnace is generating, which means that the furnace will need to run longer to heat your home to the desired temperature.
That decreases the efficiency of your heating system which means that you will be spending more money on your heating bills during the winter than you should have to.
Some Common Causes of Radiator Noise
There are three key causes of radiator noises in the home. They are:
- The radiator supply valve is too small or partly closed. Keep in mind that the radiator noise will have begun when the valve was either installed or tampered with. In other words, if the noise was present before someone touched the valve, then this is not likely the original problem.
- The radiator is sloped away from the supply valve. This would mean that the steam generated is unable to move in the proper direction through the system, causing backup and thus the banging noise.
- Steam vent port is the wrong size. This would allow the steam to enter the radiator too quickly. Again, like the supply valve, the noise would begin soon after this valve was tampered with.
If you hear or heard any noises emanating from your radiators this winter, the time to call for HVAC service is now. Don’t wait until next winter; be ready for Old Man Winter with a heating system that is sound and working perfectly.