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I’ve just finished a gut reno of a 3 family, with all new everything, literally, including individual gas/hot water heat systems for each apartment. (Slant Fin baseboards, hot water return system).

Since November, my plumber has been trying to figure out why the 3rd floor system won’t shut up! Whenever the heat is on, you hear gurgling water and an incessant knocking that has repetitive patterns that travel across my bedroom ceiling (located in the rear parlor). There’s some knocking in the ceiling above the front room, but it’s mainly occurring above my bedroom.

The plumber has repeatedly bled the air from the system, and there has been air each time, so he put bleeder valves on, which didn’t do the trick. Friday, he replaced the expansion tank (I hope I got that right) and that seems to have eliminated the water gurgling.

But the knocking is still driving me nuts. It’s not (just) expansion, because it continues throughout the night.

Also, when I had the tenants program their thermostats and drop the heat overnight, it stopped, but it’s gotten colder and I can’t make them lower the heat at night if they don’t want to. (They pay for their own heat.)

Any clues, any help, anything… he’s scratching his head & I’m becoming delusional from disrupted sleep!

Thank you Brownstoners!