Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

wrote:
Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

probably normal. it is the pipe expanding as it heats up, then
contracting as it cools. Each click is a little fin moving past the
bracket it sets on. If you take the fronts of of the baseboard and look
at it, you can probably find somewhere where it is sticking badly and
maybe move that bracket around. maybe a slip of cardboard between the
two will alleviate it somewhat.

yourname wrote:
wrote:
Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

probably normal. it is the pipe expanding as it heats up, then
contracting as it cools. Each click is a little fin moving past the
bracket it sets on. If you take the fronts of of the baseboard and look
at it, you can probably find somewhere where it is sticking badly and
maybe move that bracket around. maybe a slip of cardboard between the
two will alleviate it somewhat.

Well, it sounds like it's coming from inside the wall, near the
ceiling, so I don't think there's really anything I can open up.

Scratch that, it sounds like it's actually coming from inside the
ceiling.

CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
Then call the FBI and the president.

You have a BOMB in your house. It's the work of terrorists.

----------------- holy **** ---------------

On 28 Sep 2006 12:10:03 -0700, wrote:

Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

wrote:
Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

My old apartment was natural gas heat. The ignitor used to click a
bunch of times 4-5 followed by a wooooooof (gas igniting, very
reassuring noise). The one day the heat wouldn't work, the clicking
just kept going and going (no wooooooooof).

writes:

Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

This is a wild guess as I've never had baseboard boiler heat, but
perhaps you've got a boiler behind the wall that heats water that
recirculates to baseboard registers.

The clicking may be an electronic ignitor to light the gas burner of
the boiler when heat is called for. If the ignitor continuously is
clicking, perhaps the thermocouple is bad and preventing the gas from
flowing to light the burner and have the ignitor stop. Or, if you
actually are getting heat, maybe whatever controls the ignitor is bad.

At any rate, call your apt management and report the issue--it's not
normal.

Newer gas ranges and gas grills have electronic ignitors that sound
similar. The only other thing that could cause such a noise perhaps
is metal expansion or something weird. I had an older water heater
that'd make all sorts of crazy sounds. However in this case, that it
starts right when you crank on the heat makes it sound rather ignitor
like.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

wrote:
Scratch that, it sounds like it's actually coming from inside the
ceiling.

If you can get to the other side of the [wall ceiling] it is probably
the pipes binding in the holes in studs/joists/rafters.

yourname wrote:
wrote:
Scratch that, it sounds like it's actually coming from inside the
ceiling.

If you can get to the other side of the [wall ceiling] it is probably
the pipes binding in the holes in studs/joists/rafters.

It doesn't seem like I can get to the source.

Maybe I just need to get someone to come look at it...

Todd H. spake thus:

writes:

Coming from within the wall, there's a relatively loud (and sometimes
quite annoying) constant clicking sound at even, though gradually
changing intervals. If I turn the heat up, the clicking starts
immediately with a fraction of a second between each click. Usually
that lasts for a few seconds and gradually slows down to a few seconds
between each click. Of course, it keeps doing this in cycles and
doesn't let up much between cycles. I'm not sure what type of heating
system it is, but there are baseboards, and when I turn the heat up, it
sounds like water or something starts circulating. Any idea what's
causing this and if it's normal?

This is a wild guess as I've never had baseboard boiler heat, but
perhaps you've got a boiler behind the wall that heats water that
recirculates to baseboard registers.

The clicking may be an electronic ignitor to light the gas burner of
the boiler when heat is called for. If the ignitor continuously is
clicking, perhaps the thermocouple is bad and preventing the gas from
flowing to light the burner and have the ignitor stop. Or, if you
actually are getting heat, maybe whatever controls the ignitor is bad.

If he (I assume he's a he) thinks it might be the click of an
electronic-ignition spark, it should be pretty easy to tell: unlike the
clicking sounds emitted by pipes, etc., as they expand and contract with
heat, the electronic ignition clicks will be absolutely regular. The
other clicks won't, but will instead be more randomly timed.


--
Save the Planet
Kill Yourself

- motto of the Church of Euthanasia (http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/)