Do you hear the sound of water gurgling from your boiler? This is a clear sign that there is air trapped in the system. Air in the system, in turn, can cause more problems. Heat will have a more difficult time traveling to certain areas in your home, or, if bad luck really strikes, your boiler may not even start.
Check your boiler and identify what is causing the water gurgling noise. This noise is made by a mixture of water and air in the system, where water should be the only one present. Another cause of water gurgling is a frozen condensate pipe. Cold weather can cause the pipes or traps to freeze, stopping water from circulating properly.
Test your theory before creating a solution, to remove the guessing part and make sure you are doing the right thing. First, find the highest radiator in your system and touch in. If there is air trapped in the system, the highest radiator will feel colder than the other radiators. If you conclude that there is air in the system, you can easily resolve this by bleeding the radiators. This will release trapped air and get the water running smoothly again inside the system. Make sure you take the necessary precautions and that you know how to bleed a radiator properly before starting work.
If you suspect that your condensate pipe had froze over the cold weather, find the spot that is frozen by feeling the pipe with your hands. You can thaw the frozen condensate pipe to get it working again.
Remember to take the following safety precautions when providing solution for water gurgling in your boiler:
- Do not pour hot water directly on the frozen pipe.
- Only a professional engineer should attempt to thaw a frozen pipe that is above ground level.
- Boilers do not need frequent bleeding. If you are doing this often, get a professional to look at your boiler.
- Hot water will pour out of the system during bleeding, make sure to take the proper precautions to avoid burning or scalding.
