Winter is on and so is your boiler. Nothing is good like a warm room and a hot shower in this colder part of the year. The gadget that makes it happen for you is nothing else but your boiler. But to do that, a boiler has to work hard and without a break. You can’t afford to face a boiler breakdown during the extreme winters.
Generally, a boiler should provide uninterrupted heat for your living area and hot water for your washroom and kitchen. But that depends a lot on the timely maintenance and regular service. If the boiler is maintained and serviced regularly, it will most likely perform perfectly throughout the winter season. But at times, a boiler may start generating unusual noise.
You might have noticed abnormal sounds and noise coming out of your boiler. Ideally, a boiler is supposed to work silently, but a certain level of noise or sound coming out of it is also considered normal. Any sounds and noises that a boiler may generate are normally termed Kettling Sound or Boiler Kettling.
The term kettling refers to the specific sound that is produced by an electric kettle while water is boiling. Boiler Kettling is a term that represents the abnormal or unusual sounds and noise produced by the boiler. It does not refer to a specific or single type of sound; rather, it is a mixture of different sounds. It may include a banging sound or a loud humming sound.
Such sounds generally come from the boiler itself. However, the pipework and radiators may also generate kettling sounds. Sometimes the sounds are so loud and may be uncomfortable and annoying, as well as threatening that the boiler will explode. Kettling is a serious issue, but there’s hardly any chance of your boiler being exploded due to it. The boilers are fitted with various safety devices that shut it down well before it reaches the point of danger. However, the kettling sound indicates something is wrong with the boiler and should immediately be fixed.
Boilers heat the water. But that’s not as simple a process as it may seem. Despite the given name, a boiler is not meant for boiling water. Water starts boiling and generating steam at 100 degrees Celsius, whereas a boiler heats the water to 70 degrees. And the hot water that comes out of the taps should ideally be at 55 degrees Celsius.
A boiler is mostly a part of an integrated heating system of a building. The heating system comprises pipework, radiators, a water tank, and the main boiler unit. Water from the main supply line enters the main boiler unit, where it gets heated. The heat is then shifted to the cold water passing over an important boiler component known as a heat exchanger.
The water passing over the heat exchanger gets heated instantly and is then transported to radiators, either with the same or enhanced pressure, using pumps and motors. When this heated water reaches the radiators, this heat is used to warm the living areas of the premises. In this process, the temperature of the water decreases, and it is transported back to the main boiler unit for heating again. A part of the heated water is also transported to the washrooms and kitchens, which is used to warm the tap water.
Water is heated in the boilers, generally in two ways: water tubes or fire tubes.
Boilers are also categorized based on energy sources, such as gas, coal, oil, or electric power. Amongst them, electric-powered boilers may last longer than the other types. On the other hand, coal-powered boilers are more vulnerable to deterioration. However, the most common and popular type of boiler is a Gas Boiler. It is more efficient, more economical, and more reliable.
A boiler may start producing abnormal sounds at any time. Here are some major reasons that may result in such sounds, generally known as Kettling Sounds:
This is the most common issue with boilers, especially in the areas that are supplied hard water. Limescale starts accumulating inside the pipes and other components of a boiler. With time the buildup of limescale starts blocking the pipes. That lowers the speed of water with which it passes over the heat exchanger. This, in turn, results in excessive water heating, which produces abnormal kettling sounds.
Sometimes there’s a leakage anywhere in the boiler or connected pipes. That also generates abnormal sounds, as the boiler works too hard to maintain the pressure, which continuously drops due to leakage.
Sludge accumulation is yet another natural process that often happens inside the radiator. Magnetite causes the wearing off of the inside layers of a radiator. When this sludge accumulates in the radiator, it slows the water flow, like the limescale buildup. The immediate impact on the boiler is the generation of abnormal sounds.
The thermostat is meant to maintain the temperature in the boiler. When the water reaches the pre-set temperature level, the thermostat shuts down the ignition. If the thermostat starts malfunctioning, it may result in overheating of water, which in turn causes kettling sounds.
If the boiler pumps are not working as expected, the result will be a slowdown in water flow over the heat exchanger. When water stays for a longer period over the heat exchanger, it will get overheated. The immediate result of this overheating will be the generation of kettling sounds.
Boilers are quite sensitive equipment; hence, they need expertise to work on them. You may fix a minor problem, such as a minor and visible leakage in a pipe or some loosely hung cables, wires, or pipes. But you must call a qualified boiler engineer for most of the issues.
The engineer has the expertise and knowledge to handle and fix the issues of a boiler kettling. In most cases, the engineer will fix boiler kettling using one or a combination of the following techniques.
When the main culprit of kettling sounds is the limescale buildup or sludge accumulation, the remedy is power flushing. It is a process of flushing out limescale, sludge, or any other blockage in the boiler components, such as pipes, radiators, or heat exchangers. Water or air is injected in the pipes with a high pressure, which flushes out the blockage. However, it needs to be done carefully, as it may damage the internal components of a boiler due to very high pressure.
The engineers can also use some chemicals to clean the limescale from the internal parts of the boiler and its connected pipework. This can be very effective in removing the scale buildup. It can also be supported with subsequent flushing of the entire boiler system.
This seems to be an easy task. You need to repair the affected part of the pipe from where water is leaking. But if there is a leak in a boiler's internal parts, it will be quite a technical matter that can only be done by a qualified engineer. Sometimes, internal leaks may also lead to serious issues. Hence it is important to repair the leaks immediately. If the main body of the boiler or water tank is leaking, you may also want to replace the entire unit.
The problem of overheating is normally due to the faulty thermostat. If the thermostat is broken, you can replace it with a new one. But often, the reason for overheating is the wrong thermostat setting. This can be handled on your own if you have the basic knowledge.
You can get help from the user manual provided by the manufacturers. But you should avoid overplaying with it. A better option is to call the engineer. He can detect the actual cause of overheating. It might need re-adjustment of thermostat settings. Or if the thermostat is faulty, you may have to replace it.
Installing a filter at the water inlet point is useful to avoid unwanted particles entering the boiler system. The filtered water may go a long way in avoiding blockages in the boiler system. Engineers often recommend to use this option to prevent boiler kettling.
A boiler is meant to add comfort to your life. In turn, it demands proper care and timely maintenance. Your boiler needs regular maintenance and repair work and timely servicing at least once a year. The best time for servicing the boiler is before the start of the winter season.
The boiler may perform perfectly during the extreme cold season if it is well-maintained. However, it may start giving abnormal sounds, commonly called Kettling Sounds. There may be several reasons for these abnormal sounds and noises. Though not an immediate danger, it needs to be fixed urgently.
Sometimes the noise and sounds may be loud and disturbing for the occupants. So, it must be fixed soon, before the problem becomes serious. And remember, there is hardly anything in this case that you can do on your own. The best option is to get the services of a qualified boiler engineer to fix the issues.
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