Something you’re sure to notice if you have a boiler and central heating system at home is that the appliance makes lots of different noises at certain times of day and night.
Some of these are normal and nothing to worry about, such as the roaring sound you’ll hear when you turn the hot water on. However, some noises are more atypical and can be a sign that there’s something wrong with your boiler, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution and get them checked out to ensure that the appliance is still safe to use.
Vibrating noises, for example, could be because there’s a loose bracket somewhere that needs tightening up. A nice easy fix! Or you might detect a gurgling noise at some point, which signifies that there’s some air trapped in the system. To sort this out, you’ll need to bleed your radiators and see if that resolves the issue.
Banging sounds, in particular, can be quite concerning and they suggest that there might be a problem with the heat exchanger, or perhaps the thermostat has failed. You may also have a buildup of sludge inside the appliance, all of which will need to be checked out as soon as possible.
Finally, if you hear a loud whistling sound, this could be an indication that you’ve got a buildup of limescale in your heat exchanger, which can be a particular issue for those of you living in hard water areas.
While some of these problems you may be able to resolve by yourself, others you might need to call out a professional and experienced plumber to help you get your boiler back to good working order.
And don’t forget that an annual checkup of the appliance helps extend its lifespan and ensures that you can get on top of problems before they become big issues that may be expensive to resolve.
