The Lemon Fool

Does anyone know why radiators sometimes tick? One of the two in my bedroom has started to tick when they come on and off (they have thermostatic valves) which is rather irritating.

Bouleversee wrote:Does anyone know why radiators sometimes tick? One of the two in my bedroom has started to tick when they come on and off (they have thermostatic valves) which is rather irritating.

I imagine there could be many different causes, but if it’s any help, mine used to tick and I solved it very easily in the end. The radiator brackets are a right-angled length of steel, screwed vertically onto the wall. They have slots into which small tabs welded onto the radiator slot. As the radiator heats up and expands, the tab stick-slides on the bracket and makes a tick every time it moves. My solution was to push down hard on the top of each end of the radiator, which wedges the tabs firmly in the slots. The expansion movement is then taken up by the brackets flexing rather than by relative movement. This may not work in your case but there could hardly be a quicker fix to try.

Many thanks, Uri. Very helpful. I've just had a look at the brackets and I see one of them has come away from the wall a bit. Must have happened when the carers lowered the hospital bed which had been brought in during the final weeks of my late husband's illness. I remember there was a crash on one occasion. Not so easily remedied as one would have to take the rad. off to screw it back in and one might need a rawlplug or two. I'll have to get someone in but I think you have identified the problem. Some of the valves aren't working properly anyway and rads either never switch off or never get hot enough so will add it to the list.

MyNameIsUrl wrote:I imagine there could be many different causes, but if it’s any help, mine used to tick and I solved it very easily in the end. The radiator brackets are a right-angled length of steel, screwed vertically onto the wall. They have slots into which small tabs welded onto the radiator slot. As the radiator heats up and expands, the tab stick-slides on the bracket and makes a tick every time it moves. My solution was to push down hard on the top of each end of the radiator, which wedges the tabs firmly in the slots. The expansion movement is then taken up by the brackets flexing rather than by relative movement. This may not work in your case but there could hardly be a quicker fix to try.

You can get plastic inserts to solve this problem, for example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Anti ... 2904635056

Mind you, a lot of mine have disintegrated over the years, but a bit of blu tack seems to work just as well.

Stompa wrote:You can get plastic inserts to solve this problem, for example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Anti ... 2904635056

Mind you, a lot of mine have disintegrated over the years, but a bit of blu tack seems to work just as well.

Do you have to take the radiator off to fit these or can they be inserted with the radiator in situ?

fisher wrote:

Stompa wrote:You can get plastic inserts to solve this problem, for example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Anti ... 2904635056

Mind you, a lot of mine have disintegrated over the years, but a bit of blu tack seems to work just as well.

Do you have to take the radiator off to fit these or can they be inserted with the radiator in situ?

I've never done it myself, but I think the radiator would need to be lifted out of the slot. FWIW there's a video which shows their use here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDy3tSiEhrg

jump to 6:40.

Isn't some of the 'ticking' noise just expansion and contraction of metal as it heats and cools?

bruncher wrote:Isn't some of the 'ticking' noise just expansion and contraction of metal as it heats and cools?

Usually not the expansion and contraction per se, but the movement of the pipes or radiator caused by this expansion or contraction against the clips and brackets or joists where the pipes and radiators touch them. This movement is resisted for a while then goes all at once as the friction is overcome, causing a click or tick.

Hence the plastic gizmos which ease that movement by reducing the friction, allowing it move effortlessly and (hopefully!) silently.