What different boiler noises mean?
Considering that most boilers make use of gas which be highly dangerous, it can be very frightening for homeowners if they start to hear strange noises coming from their boilers, so here’s a short breakdown of the different kinds of noises you may hear from your boiler and what they could be trying to tell you…
First things first…
If you hear a noise that you think doesn’t sound quite right – don’t panic! Just because your boiler is making a noise, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything wrong. Having said that, there are a few types of noises it is always a good idea to keep an ear out for.
If you hear whistling noises…
When your kettle is almost ready boiler water, you often hear a deep rumbling sound. This common kind of sound is often called ‘kettling’. The most common reason for kettling sounds in your boiler is the same reason that you are likely to hear kettling sounds in your kettle. This is a build up of limescale on the heat exchanger.
A build of limescale tends to block the flow of water in your appliance and causes some of the water inside to change state quickly. As the heat expands, it leads to air becoming trapped in the system. Luckily this is one of the easiest things for a gas safe engineer to fix, as this can usually be fixed by simply changing the water pressure in your boiler.
If you hear banging noises…
Banging noises can also be caused by limescale build-up on your boiler’s heat exchanger. Loud banging noises tend to be an issue when over time. The important takeaway for this kind of noise is that it is something that you will need a heating engineer to take a look at.
Most modern boilers have safeguards in place to make sure that your boiler can never be at a point where it could explode so don’t panic if you start to notice these kind of noises but at the same time, you are more likely to notice that your boiler is running inefficiently if it does have a build up of limescale.
What to do if you hear these noises?
It’s important to understand that no matter what issues you are having with your boiler, you must never attempt to handle any kind of repair or maintenance yourself.
Only Gas Safe registered engineers are allowed to handle any part of gas appliances in the UK by law. This is not only to make sure that you are safe in your home but also to make sure that your boiler is working exactly as it should be and maintained by an engineer that definitely knows what to do.
Need a boiler repair in the Sheffield area?
We understand how important it is to keep your home safe, that’s why we go the extra mile to help homeowners understand what boiler is right for their needs. Get in touch us on 0800 061 4102 or leave us a message here on our website.
