DIYbanter - View Single Post - Radiator drip is driving me insane! PLEASE HELP!!!

Speedy Jim

wrote:

So, I live in an 80 year old house, with a gravity based hot water
radiant heat.

In my bedroom, there is a radiator, and every night, around 4-5am, when
it starts warming up a drip... drip... drip... sound starts. And I
cannot sleep through it. Earplugs used to work, but not anymore. It's
like a drill going into my head.

So what can I do? What's Causing it?

If i kick the radiator (which I know is probably not hte greatest
idea), it stops for about 30 seconds, then starts up again. Just long
enough for me to get my hopes up. When it started this morning, the
radiator wasn't even warm yet, so I don't think it's floorboards
expanding... I could be wrong though.

Here's the setup of the system, and what I've tried so far:
3 floors, 15 radiators (13 working, 1 cold, 1 shut off), 5 per floor.
Gas furnace, expansion tank next to the furnace in the basement (is
that weird?)

The system had been filled to 20 PSI, so I just upped it to 25 PSI,
bled all the radiators, and refilled back to 25 PSI again. No luck,
still getting that damned sound.

I've tried spraying the intakes to the radiator with WD-40, I've tried
pushing pillows under the radiator to dampen the noise (it didn't...
just changed the tonal qualities a little), I've tried cursing at it
and praying. Nothing has worked.

Please.... Please... PLEASE Help!!!

Also, if anyone has any clue why one radiator would be cold, yet still
spits cold water when bled, I would welcome some help with that too...

I bet "drip" doesn't accurately describe the sound. That suggests
water leaking. More likely that it *is* movement of the piping
(expansion) rubbing on some framing as it goes. 3 floors high
could have a *lot* of expansion. How much are you willing to tear
out to find it? And if the system is 80 yrs old, I would be
fearful of doing *anything* which might cause a pipe failure!

In a gravity system, everything must be "perfect" for flow
to occur. Even one small length of pipe set with the wrong
slope can impede flow to a radiator.

Expansion tank can be most anywhere on the system.

Would you be willing to simply set the 'stat to turn on
later in the morning?

Jim