What is this magical product they mentioned?

[James1116]

Hello,

I have this issue with my pipes, where they make a rattling noise when the building vibrates. But if I flush the water out of the pipes, the issue goes away for maybe a couple of months.

I asked a plumber about this, and they said they would put some kind of products in the pipes to clean them out. I've tried Googling this, but to no avail. What product might they be talking about?

Thanks.

 

[Ric2013]

Do you mean if you drain and refill the pipes they stop rattling the building for a while? I assume they rattle when a tap is turned off?

 

[James1116]

Yes, when you turn the water off at the mains and open all the taps. It rattles when the taps are off too, yup. Thanks.

 

[Ric2013]

I expect someone will disagree with me , but I reckon whoever did your pipework did a very old-fashioned thing in that they left a short dead-leg of pipe coming up off a horizontal bit somewhere you can't see. The air acts as a shock absorber for pressure surges when either yourself or a neighbour, turns off a tap fast. Washing machines stop filling fast too and can cause a pressure surge - it's called water hammer and it goes 'bang' or click.

Over time the air pocket is absorbed by the water and then it doesn't function any more. In the old days, you had to do what you're doing now. Nowadays, water regs don't allow dead legs and you can fit this sort of thing instead: Sioux Chief Water Hammer Arrester 1/2in | Wickes.co.uk.

But to be honest, unless you're going to take the dead leg out, you may as well just keep draining down every couple of months if it's not a big deal to you. I very much doubt dirt is the cause.

 

[James1116]

Thanks very much, Ric, very good reply. I just thought if there was some product I could use to get rid of the problem I may as well, but if there isn't, I can leave it.

 

[James1116]

Hello, again,

I figured out the problem. Because I'm in my bedroom most of the day (I work from home and in my room) unless it's especially cold, I turn off the other three radiators in the house (two downstairs, a bathroom one upstairs) and just run my bedroom one. It seems a build up of water or something, as when I run all the radiators instead, the rattling goes away after a couple of times running the heating.

My question is, is this rattling going to cause any damage to the pipes? I did ask someone a couple of years back in a plumbing forum if it was okay to run just the one rad and they said it was fine, but I wanted to ask on here, with this symptom appearing. Is it some kind of water build up? Thanks!

 

[Harvest Fields]

Hello, again,

I figured out the problem. Because I'm in my bedroom most of the day (I work from home and in my room) unless it's especially cold, I turn off the other three radiators in the house (two downstairs, a bathroom one upstairs) and just run my bedroom one. It seems a build up of water or something, as when I run all the radiators instead, the rattling goes away after a couple of times running the heating.

My question is, is this rattling going to cause any damage to the pipes? I did ask someone a couple of years back in a plumbing forum if it was okay to run just the one rad and they said it was fine, but I wanted to ask on here, with this symptom appearing. Is it some kind of water build up? Thanks!

If the bathroom radiator is the bypass rad. It needs to be left open.

 

[Gasmk1]

do you have thermostatic radiator valves

 

[James1116]

Thanks, both. I have thermostatic valves, yep. Googled ''bypass radiator'' and not sure. It's the closest one to the boiler?

 

[Gasmk1]

is the vibration a faulty TRV these can sometimes rattle when failing or they are not bi-directional

 

[James1116]

No, it's not a faulty TRV, as the issue stops if all the rads are switched on.

Anybody else? I'd like to know more about this, as it's a waste running several rads in rooms I won't even be in.

 

[Gasmk1]

It will be a faulty Trv they don't rattle when on but rattle when almost shutting off or are off but fitted on wrong side if they are not bi-directional. But if you don't want to check them out that's up to you

 

[James1116]

but if that's the case, how come running all four rads solves the problem?

 

[jtsplumbing]

So when he says he is draining all his pipes is he talking about the heating system ? or the Hot & Cold water pipe work, if heating he's not doing himself any favour's keep putting fresh water in system every few weeks

 

[Gasmk1]

but if that's the case, how come running all four rads solves the problem?

Because they are all fully open when you are down to 1 or 2 the pump maybe too powerful and it is forcing past one or two valves causing the chattering.

 

[AWheating]

think about what your doing when you stop the noise. that should point to the problem.