heating pipes rattling during the summer?

We have lived in our brownstone for over a year, and I don’t remember whether it happened last summer or not, but we’ve been waking up in the morning recently to the sound of the heating pipes rattling.  It can be quite loud at times.  Obviously, we’re not using the heat right now, so I’m trying to figure out why it’s happening.  My husband said “thermal expansion,” but I wasn’t sure if there was something else going on.

If anyone has an idea, please let me know.  Thanks very much.

bococagirl

in Plumbers and Plumbing 13 years and 9 months ago

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wholesalerbill1 | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Here’s a suggestion, call one of the more than qualified heating experts on this forum to do a sevice call and get to the bottom of the rattling. Sounds like you need yur boiler serviced anyways. Best time to do it is in August when heating starts(for me anyways it does, being in the wholesale heating business). Good luck, it’s probably a simple fix.

bococagirl | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Thanks for the responses.  I actually don’t know what kind of heat we have (we rent), but I’m going to look into this.  I did look at the boiler and there’s a switch, but it doesn’t have a red cover.  It’s a fairly old boiler, though, so I bet that’s it.

steam_man | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Your boiler is on. Turn the thermostat all the way down and turn the Emergency Cut-Off Switch (the one with red cover in the boiler room or at the top of your basement steps) to off. Just don’t forget to turn it back on again when the weather gets cold or you’ll be posting here asking why your boiler won’t turn on even though the thermostat is set to 90\.

-SteamMan

eman135 | 13 years and 9 months ago

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what kind of heat dou you have…steam or hot water?….do you use your boiler to make hot water by using a coil or indirect zone?

BHS | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Are you sure the boiler is off? It was in the 60s last night so if you have your thermostat high (eg 72), it’s possible the heat went on. Unlikely but possible. Banging in heating pipes is usually from steam hitting condensed water. Thermal expansion (the pipes heating up) sounds like a clicking or dripping sound and is not a loud “bang” sound.