Be On Guard for These Broken Boiler Noises
In our last blog, we covered a few common boiler troubles that plague Minnesota residents during winter months. While some familiar heater problems are sneaky and silent, others alert you with annoying and worrisome noises. Take this clanking, popping and banging seriously! If your heater sounds like a whining kettle or mimics the neighbor’s amateur garage band, it’s time to call in the best HVAC company in Ramsey County.
Steam and hot water boilers may “sound off” as they age when limescale builds in the tank or air gets trapped in the heating system. While a noisy boiler isn’t always unsafe, a faulty appliance could be hazardous. Approaching every repair with your safety in mind, McQuillan Bros’ certified technicians handle loud boiler systems with care to prevent scalding or electrical risk.
Sounds You Shouldn’t Hear From a Healthy Boiler
- Rumbling & clanking due to limescale. Known as “kettling,” knocking or clunking noises usually occur when a mineral coating builds inside the boiler’s heat exchanger. Excess sediment blocks water flow and leads to water expansion, steam buildup and rapid boiling. The result: a loud sound similar to a kettle that’s boiling over on the stovetop. Your steam or hot water boiler contains a pressure relief valve designed to minimize the dangers of kettling, but, over time, limescale causes internal damage and takes a toll on efficiency.
- Rumbling & clanking due to thermostat setting. When your thermostat is set too high, it can also lead to rapid boiling inside the water heater tank. Reduce the thermostat setting to eliminate this type of kettling noise. In some cases, your thermostat may be defective and should be changed out by a boiler repair technician.
- Gurgling or whistling. These sounds may occur when pipes or traps are frozen or air has accumulated in your boiler or radiator system. A boiler repair professional can thaw frozen pipes or bleed the radiator system to release trapped air and restore normal water flow. If you decide to bleed the system yourself, proceed with caution. Hot water is purged during the process and could lead to scalding.
McQuillan Bros Boiler Replacement Specialists
Noisy boilers are unsettling and may put your family at risk. Our HVAC company in Ramsey County is the region’s No. 1 boiler specialist. Responding quickly to troubleshoot your problem or provide cost-effective boiler replacement in Minneapolis, our family-owned business has over 135 years of heating experience.
Don’t lose sleep over your noisy boiler! Schedule heating service at 651.237.5097 or request steam or hot water boiler repair online. Proudly serving generations of Twin City residents, we offer no-obligation estimates for boiler replacement in Minneapolis and surrounding counties.