Radiator OMG

[jadey]

The radiator pipes in my sixth-floor apartment have, sometime in the last half hour, started making a very odd noise. Not clanging, but a strangled wooshing noise like water is trapped in them or having a hard time making it through. I live in a very cold city (it's been hovering around -20 Celcius for weeks now, even during sunny afternoons) and I have already gotten the building-wide notices from the building manager about keeping our thermostats over at least 18 degrees to prevent freezing and bursting in the pipes. I've done this, but I also noticed that the pipes are currently stone cold, and at least as recently as 3pm this afternoon they were warmish (had occasion to check while on the phone with my mother). It's Christmas Eve so I really don't want to call anyone if it's just a normal radiator thing and I suspect I won't get hold of anyone anyway, but I'm really nervous about this weird noise.

I tried turning my thermostat up, and the noise got worse. I turned it back down again to just 20, and now there is still a distinct noise of water, but it's not strangled at least. Does anyone with more familiarity with this type of heating system in this type of climate know if this kind of behaviour presages doom? Possibly of the pipes-bursting variety?

Coincidentally, I've actually had people in my flat three times in the last month to inspect the valves (again, building-wide inspection), including by the building manager herself just yesterday! At least, that's what the notices said - I was never actually home. I'm hoping that if there was an obvious problem, someone would have noticed...

Help!

UPDATE: Sucked up my pride and called the supervisor who was miraculously available. It turns out that there had been a leak elsewhere in the building and everything was turned off, and the noise was actually them finally refilling the pipes! So complete false alarm, and thank you to everyone who offered advice.

Comments

[zillah975]

My step-dad says:

If the water's still moving, she needs to keep it moving, so turn the heat up. If they pipes don't warm up, call someone. Probably call someone anyway.


Hope that helps!

[zillah975]

P.S. If you think of it and it's no trouble, pls to be posting an update at some point? Am sending warm thoughts and hoping your pipes don't freeze!

[jadey]

No trouble at all! I took your dad's advice and called and it all turned out okay. I've updated the main post. Thank you very much!

[lasergirl]

Check to see if there is a bleed valve on your radiator... it will be a little tap-like fixture with a knob (if you have one). What can happen with water rads is that if there are air pockets trapped in your radiators, water can't flow through and you will have weird noises and lack of heat.

HERE is what you might be looking for. Get an old cloth or a yogurt container and when you turn the valve, listen for the air hissing out. When you get a bubble of water, congratulations, you have bled your rad! Bleeding Instructions.

As the water circulates over the next few days, you may find that you will have to bleed it again to keep the air bubbles down, but hopefully this should help you out.

[jadey]

Thank you! It ended up being something else entirely, but it's handy to have instructions here for the next person who's got radiator woes.

[lasergirl]

WHEW! That's awesome. It's tough living in a building where you don't really have control over your own heating systems... the place I lived with water rads was a small house with a couple of separate closed-loop rad systems and they got air trapped in them regularly so I did what I could to keep the air out.

I also used to work as an assistant to a couple of boiler technicians so there ware a lot of pipefitting and valves and stuff. ;P

[zillah975]

Yay!! So glad everything is well! :D