This month, Daphne from Barnes asks…

Dear Samuele,

This Valentine’s Day, I’m hoping that me and my other half will be able to enjoy a nice romantic evening together; some candle light, a delicious meal, a bit of loving – you get the picture.

However, as it’s winter, at some point in the evening I will have to turn the heating on. Problem is, when I do, I know that the radiator pipes will start to make the most horrendous clunky banging noise. Then, after about twenty minutes, the noise will completely stop.

Can you please tell me what’s causing this terrible noise, and how I can ensure that my intended night of passion won’t be disturbed by something else banging?

Yours hopefully,

Daphne from Barnes

 

Samuele says:

Ciao, Daphne!
And grazie mille for your question.

Yes, those creaky pipes can be off-putting, to say the least. It’s a common problem.

When you switch on the heating and the metal pipes become hot, they naturally begin to expand. If they haven’t been fitted correctly in the first place, or the pipes are too long and don’t have enough room for expansion, they will often start to make that unwanted noise. Dirt in the heating system can also cause this problem.

There are various solutions, but without inspecting the pipes first, it’s hard to say which course of action would be most suitable.

It might require something as simple as a power flush, which we would do as a matter of course. Or it could need some major surgery. It all comes down to what’s found.

As for your night of passion… who needs the heating on? It should be plenty hot enough in the bedroom! Might be worth getting a few oysters in?

Hope that helps.

Ciao for now,

Samuele