Stelrad Radical trickling sound

[david stanton]

Hello Chaps

I've got a stelrad new fangled radical eco radiator ( fitted this instead of 'normal stelrad" as apparently pumps out more heat from the front, rather than the back, and as in a loft room thought would be better option), installed in a loft room, its the only rad "up stairs". The problem i've got is the darn thing makes a sort of trickling sound, there is 100% def no air in it or the system. I've tried opening the value fully and closing it, closing it does reduce the sound but no completely. TRV fully open or set to 1-2 etc, still makes the noise. Any idea on whats up with it?

cheers

 

[AMGasServices]

Is the trv bi directional?

Have you tried turning all the radiators off and see if it warms up.

 

[david stanton]

oh it warms up fine, as hot as all the others, pretty sure the trv is bi directional, as in the stelrad docs you can put it on either side, i left it on the side it came from factory, flow and return are plumbed in the way of the docs as well

 

[Chuck]

Sounds most people describe as 'trickling' normally come from disturbance of a free liquid-surface, e.g. pipework or components partially filled with 'air'. If they don't go away when you close the valves to the radiator, then they are coming from somewhere else. (Plumbing transmits noise rather well.)

Bleed the whole sysem systematically, including the pump and magnetic filter. Have a look to see if you have any 'inverted-U' sections of pipe where air might accumulate. If you have a variable speed pump, run it on the high setting for a bit to see if that helps shift the air around.

If it's not air then you may have a parial blockage somewhere, so I'd try to eliminate air as a possibility first.

 

[Pickwickpick]

I agree with Chuck its almost certainly air, just because you've got clear water coming out of the bleed nipple doesn't mean there isn't a small pocket trapped somewhere.

 

[david stanton]

i've systematically bleed all radiators/ magnaclean/ also have those genie self bleeds on all rads. Its a worc 24i boiler, no clue how to bleed the pump or if pump can be turned up or down?

 

[king of pipes]

Try closing the lockshield valve down 1/4 of a turn a time to slow down the flow through the radiator this may help . Kop

 

[david stanton]

I've actually tried that, it does help a bit but the noise is still there

 

[david stanton]

bit of an update, the noise is happening when the boiler first comes on, so is that the pump pushing flow around. im stumped as to how i can shift an air lock in the system if its that?

 

[WC1]

+ 1 for air. The tinkling sound is water striking another surface, that other surface often being water. If the water is continuous i.e. no air then the water has no "other surface" to strike. I might be stating the bleeding obvious but have you bled it from both ends?

 

[david stanton]

You can only bleed it from one side, which actually has a self bleed Alladin on it but I also opened it up with a spanner , was no air. The other side has the trv as these radiators fill from the centre bottom not side pipes. I'm wondering if it's actually a design in these radiators, it glugs on boiler start for about 5 ish sec with a glut glug glug, tinkle tinkle, then it's ok but it's chineesecwater tourtute as I work in this room next to the thing

 

[WC1]

Where you can hear the tinkling there's air. If the bleed end is at all above the trv end air gathers away from the bleed end.

 

[WC1]

Sorry . You'll have problems if the bleed is below not above trv . 🙁. Air is generally less dense than water.

 

[david stanton]

The bleed value is 5 mm higher than the trv side, I set the radiator very slightly off level so as to set that up

 

[david stanton]

errm, seems i might of had a "failed' alladin self bleed, cranked it wide open almost to point of coming out completly and woosh, mass blast of air came out. hopefully that sorts it now until can get a new self bleed ( one where can change the cartridge, incase ever goes again), cheers for the info guys

 

[Pickwickpick]

Good to here you got it sorted and thanks for the update.