A good quality radiator that's less likely to creak?

[Biilee]

Hi,

Have just had a new radiator added to my combi boiler system that creaks a bit despite it being fitted okay to the wall with plastic inserts in place to reduce metal expansion noise - Have decided to just put up with the noise from that radiator...However, I'm also now looking to replace an existing steel large double radiator that's almost 30 years old with a new one in my living room and don't want that to be noisy whilst trying to watch tv; would be obliged for any advice as to a make and type of radiator that would be best quality and possibly more unlikely to creak and click with metal expansion, i.e. if there is such a thing. Many thanks for your help/advice.

 

[gaspastemania]

If it creaks then it has not been installed properly ,,,simples , get plumber back to felt pipework etc .

 

[Paulus]

As gaspastemania says the creaks are probably due to the expanding hot pipes binding against floorboards or joists. Get the guy back to sort it out, he hasn't done the job right. Don't blame the rad,

 

[Biilee]

Thanks for you replies Gaspastemania and Paulus - We don't have any joists or floorboards though, the flooring's all concrete.

 

[Paulus]

Where do the tails to the rad come from? I would put money on it that they are tight against something.

 

[Biilee]

Sorry, Paulus am a complete plumbing ignoramus - what do you mean by 'tails'? - Does this mean a long run of pipe leading to the rad?

 

[gaspastemania]

Are the pipes in the concrete?
If they are the installer should still have allowed for expansion,any issues that you are experiencing are generally poor install issues.

 

[Paulus]

Sorry Biilee, yes I do mean the pipes leading to the radiator.

 

[Biilee]

The pipes are in the concrete. What measures should have been done to have allowed for expansion, so that I can point this out when I get the installer back - thanks.

 

[gaspastemania]

Ask them if they allowed for expansion in pipework buried in concrete e'g some use pipelagging or stand off clips with talon trunking which will allow pipe expansion . In all honesty if they have not they will probably tell a few porkies to fob you off i a m affraid.

 

[Paulus]

Gaspastemania has beaten me to it.

 

[Biilee]

Am guessing I will be fobbed off, but I'll ask the questions and see what happens. Am obliged for your time and advice - thank you. Wish I were in Devon - don't know of a good heating engineer/plumber near Slough do you?

 

[gaspastemania]

Cant say i know one in devon haha , put out request on i need a plumber on here if you get any issues plenty clued up guys on this forum .

 

[Biilee]

Will do that - thanks, Gaspastemania.

 

[bert large]

To be fair, before we all slag off the original installer, he may have fitted a new rad on tails that were already protruding through the concrete.

This wasn't made clear in the first post as far as I can see.

 

[Best]

I have seen some makes of rads that creak at the convector fins. Check this & check bracket is not touching back of rad besides where it hooks to rad.

 

[tamz]

Was thinking the same as Best before i got to the bottom. Heard rads make expansion noises from the convectors a many times. Usually but not always with cheaper brands. It is not hard to tell if the noise is coming from the rad or the pipes.

 

[gaspastemania]

I have seen some makes of rads that creak at the convector fins. Check this & check bracket is not touching back of rad besides where it hooks to rad.

The o.p has stated already checked rad brackets, either way if i was a paying cust it wouldn't hurt to give the installer a quick call as they are the ones who installed it .

 

[Biilee]

Bert - the new rad is in new concrete, but the 30 year old rad that I want to replace has old tails that come out of the old concrete and are the same age as the rad.

Best - had a look and the brackets are not touch back of rad; if the rad is a make where the convector fins creak then I suppose there is nothing I can do about them creaking or is there something I can do about them?

Tamz - other than looking at the price of a rad and opting for a more expensive one, are there any rads that you would say are better than the rest? Heard that Myson might be good?

Thanks to all.

 

[tamz]

Personally i prefer stelrads. Don't like the brackets on myson compacts or premiers but the rads are ok. Premier metrics are decent looking rads. A bit different from the norm.
It is all a personal thing.

As Gaspaste said get the installer back to have a look. It won't take him long to pop in and have a listen. Turn the rad off for a bit before he comes and he will be able to hear it straight away when he switches it on. Nothing much you can do if it is the fins creaking.

 

[stevetheplumber]

try some thing on the brackets to lubricate ?wd ?

 

[Best]

As Tamz said, not a lot you can do if it is the rad itself. Myson rads are better than the average I think, & don't creak usually if brackets fitted nice & centred to the rad hangers. Premier Mysons do look nice & clean, modern design.
One thing for heating guys, that stands to Myson standard rads is that they are the same size panels that have been made for years, so the pipe distances are close to the new Mysons.

 

[Biilee]

Thanks, Best - especially good point about the pipe distances which would be a big consideration what with the old tails coming out of the concrete.

 

[Biilee]

Steve - Thanks for suggesting WD40. Put some on the brackets of both the new creaking rad and the 30 year old creaking and clicking rad (which I had resigned myself to replacing as it made so much noise it disturbed us watching the telly) and it's helped a lot. Am guessing I will have to re-lubricate the brackets every now and again, but made it an easier task to reach the brackets by applying the WD with a thin long-handled paint brush. With the old rad we also squeezed a length of foam pipe insulation between it and the wall plus, believe it or not, we pushed a couple of rubber squash balls behind the rad at the top, i.e. to try and attenuate the noise - The 30 year old rad's nice and quiet now (so may not bother to get a new one) and the new rad creaks a lot less. Thanks again for your advice.