What is that buzz????
#1
11-21-06, 08:39 AM
What is that buzz????
Lately, during the early mornings when the house is quiet, I sometimes hear buzzing sound that I believe is related to the boiler. Our bedroom is on the second floor opposite side of the house from the boiler in the basement. But, when the boiler starts up, I can hear it. Occasionally, a few seconds after the boiler starts up, a buzzing sound can be heard. The sound lasts a few seconds and stops when the boiler shuts down. To me, the buzz sounds like electricity, kind of like a bug getting zapped. My husband heard it once and said it sounded like buzzing. This does not happen all the time. I don't hear this sound during the day. What can it be? Can it be vibration? What can be wrong with the boiler? Thanks.
#4
11-21-06, 04:07 PM
Try to localize the noise a bit... that might help getting answers, but it could be a vibration caused by one of the control transformers... or, maybe the oil lines are vibrating against something... or, could be a vibration caused by the circulator and transmitted on the water piping... or...
soooo, see if you can get even a little more local with the noise and tell us what ya find.
soooo, see if you can get even a little more local with the noise and tell us what ya find.
#5
11-21-06, 04:11 PM
Occasionally, a few seconds after the boiler starts up, a buzzing sound can be heard. The sound lasts a few seconds and stops when the boiler shuts down.
??? Is it the whole time the burner is on or not??
??? Is it the whole time the burner is on or not??
#6
11-21-06, 04:13 PM
Originally Posted by Novice134
...Occasionally, a few seconds after the boiler starts up, a buzzing sound can be heard. The sound lasts a few seconds and stops when the boiler shuts down. To me, the buzz sounds like electricity, kind of like a bug getting zapped. ...
Have you got zones, etc ? Describe what you know of your system... how old is the boiler? When was the last time you had it serviced ?
Ed, ya know that occured to me too... I wonder if the burner is short-cycling ??? maybe the circulator coupling is gone ??? or maybe the burner coupling ???
#7
11-21-06, 04:23 PM
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boiler noise
Think it could be caused by mineral buildup in the boiler as well... IIRC...
Pete
Pete
#8
11-21-06, 05:40 PM
Ed, I believe the buzzing sound is heard only when the boiler kicks on in early morning. Once the boiler shuts off, the buzz disappears.
NJ Trooper, the boiler is about 8 years old. We have multiple zones in the house. We had our annual tune up in mid Sept. Right before the annual tune-up, our aqua-stat failed and was replaced.
Trying to localize the noise is tough. The only time I can hear this buzzing is in early morning. And, I don't hear it all the time. Since the duration of the noise is very short, by the time I get to the stairs, it will have stopped. However, I have yet to hear the buzzing during the day or evening when I am downstairs. Even when I stopped everything when the boiler kicks on, I will hear nothing. My husband mentioned that it also sounds like a pager on vibrate mode.
NJ Trooper, the boiler is about 8 years old. We have multiple zones in the house. We had our annual tune up in mid Sept. Right before the annual tune-up, our aqua-stat failed and was replaced.
Trying to localize the noise is tough. The only time I can hear this buzzing is in early morning. And, I don't hear it all the time. Since the duration of the noise is very short, by the time I get to the stairs, it will have stopped. However, I have yet to hear the buzzing during the day or evening when I am downstairs. Even when I stopped everything when the boiler kicks on, I will hear nothing. My husband mentioned that it also sounds like a pager on vibrate mode.
#9
11-21-06, 07:00 PM
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Buzz
I suspect it to be only in one zone & only under certain conditions such as when the zone valve first opens. It is likely you have a heat pipe rubbing against wood somewhere & once that pipe gets hot & expands fully, the noise stops.
I have the same thing in one of my zones but it hasn't bothered me enough to fix it, yet.
I have the same thing in one of my zones but it hasn't bothered me enough to fix it, yet.
#10
11-22-06, 04:14 AM
We heard it again last night. This time, it buzzed for a second or two, then buzzed again for a second or two. However, it stopped before the boiler shut down. My husband heard it too. He said that it sounded like vibration. I love for it to be caused by vibration/pipe rubbing. How can I be sure? Thanks.
#12
11-22-06, 02:43 PM
Originally Posted by xiphias
No expert here, but a question for them. Could this be a faulty relay?
I would say to look around and wiggle some pipes and see if you can make it stop or start. I'm thinkin' keep an eye (or ear, as it were) on it and see what happens... keep looking and try to "catch it in the act" if you can. Sometimes just lightly pushing on the pipes can cause a vibration to re-appear. I'm with Grady on this...
One time I almost replaced a well pump... until I discovered the two pipes that were vibrating together. Sounded just like a bad bearing in the motor.
I have had burner couplings go bad and make funny noises intermittently though...
I'm still wondering though, your description at one point made it sound like the burner might be "short cycling" ... How long is the burner running on a typical cycle ? ?
This is the kind of thing that could possibly be nothing, or it could be something. Vague enough for ya ???
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#13
11-23-06, 03:37 AM
I will try and catch it in the act (don't know how successful I will be).
The burner can run between 1 and little over 2 minutes. Sometimes the burner will kick on, run a couple of minutes, and stop. Then, a few seconds to minutes later, it will repeat the cycle. This happens when it is cold outside.
The burner can run between 1 and little over 2 minutes. Sometimes the burner will kick on, run a couple of minutes, and stop. Then, a few seconds to minutes later, it will repeat the cycle. This happens when it is cold outside.
Last edited by Novice134; 11-23-06 at 03:49 AM.
#14
11-23-06, 09:14 AM
Originally Posted by Novice134
The burner can run between 1 and little over 2 minutes. Sometimes the burner will kick on, run a couple of minutes, and stop. Then, a few seconds to minutes later, it will repeat the cycle. This happens when it is cold outside.
If you were to tell me that in the dead of winter, on the coldest night, the burner ran for 4 minutes, and then in 4 minutes came back on again, I might say OK... but it's really not cold enough for the kind of behaviour you are describing yet. Unless you are in Alaska or Siberia... yer not, right ?
#15
12-07-06, 01:47 PM
Sorry it took so long to respond. My husband replaced a couple of broken plastic pipe brackets with copper ones. As a result, the buzzing had transferred occasionally to the bedroom. He then replaced more broken plastic brackets with copper ones. I am now on wait mode to see if we will hear the buzz again.
What do you think needs to be done with the burner if it is running too often? The frequency of the burner running varies a lot. My husband thinks I have monitored it on a cold night (though we don't live in Alaska or Siberia).
What do you think needs to be done with the burner if it is running too often? The frequency of the burner running varies a lot. My husband thinks I have monitored it on a cold night (though we don't live in Alaska or Siberia).
#16
12-07-06, 02:05 PM
What do you think needs to be done with the burner if it is running too often? The frequency of the burner running varies a lot. My husband thinks I have monitored it on a cold night (though we don't live in Alaska or Siberia).
Dont know what tstat you have there . But the run time on a unit is set by the tstat Check the anticipator
Dont know what tstat you have there . But the run time on a unit is set by the tstat Check the anticipator
#17
01-17-07, 04:26 AM
Sorry about the late post. The holidays took over.
Ed, I don't know what an anticipator is. Where will it be located?
BTW, lately, I have not heard the buzzing noise. I don't know if replacing the broken brackets was the recent why the buzzing noise stopped.
Ed, I don't know what an anticipator is. Where will it be located?
BTW, lately, I have not heard the buzzing noise. I don't know if replacing the broken brackets was the recent why the buzzing noise stopped.
#18
01-17-07, 06:25 PM
boiler over fired or high limit set too low
Originally Posted by Novice134
Lately, during the early mornings when the house is quiet, I sometimes hear buzzing sound that I believe is related to the boiler. Our bedroom is on the second floor opposite side of the house from the boiler in the basement. But, when the boiler starts up, I can hear it. Occasionally, a few seconds after the boiler starts up, a buzzing sound can be heard. The sound lasts a few seconds and stops when the boiler shuts down. To me, the buzz sounds like electricity, kind of like a bug getting zapped. My husband heard it once and said it sounded like buzzing. This does not happen all the time. I don't hear this sound during the day. What can it be? Can it be vibration? What can be wrong with the boiler? Thanks.
