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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Ed, I know you do a lot more than plumbing, and I have a question on my heating system that you can help me with. When we turn on our forced hot-water heating system, we hear a lot of noise like water rushing through the pipes. We have had technicians come down and drain and fill the system, but the noise comes back every year and is very upsetting and I can't sleep. Is there anything we can do to stop this yearly cycle? Allen (Alaska)
A: Allen, you do need a lot of heat in Alaska, so I understand that you would also like quiet heat at night. I think I know what you're going through. Forced hot-water heat is just what the name says: It's water forced through a closed piping system by a circulator. Every forced hot-water system will make some clicking and/or water rushing noises, but your noise is a little excessive and is probably due to air getting into your heating lines. A heating technician can purge the lines of air; that will usually solve the problem.
But in cases like yours, the system for one reason or another may require constant purging. If this happens, the best solution is to have a qualified heating contractor install an air-elimination valve to automatically remove air from your heating lines. This can be a little costly since it does require draining the system, cutting in and installing the control and then refilling the system. But it's well worth the money — especially if the running-water noise causes you to go running for the rest room every night!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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