Yet again I hear you cry but I have read all the previous strings, chacked the flow (no thermo valves), bled all the rads, lagged the pipes etc.etc. But I still have a radiator that chimes like big ben when the heating comes on. I am convinced it is inside the rad so can it be some restiction? They rad is about 30 years old I guess and it dings every minute or so. Have to cure or else no wife-hmmm!
Buy a new radiator.
I suspect it's the pipes lengthening and being partially gripped by a joist or similar, but the sound is transmitted to the radiator through the pipework, where it best couples to the air.
Have you considered the wall brackets?
The radiator itself will expand (especially if it is a long one) and the brackets on the back of the radiator, which drop onto the wall brackets, may well want to move a little along the wall brackets.
Modern wall brackets have little plastic inserts on which the radiator brackets sit. These should allow silent movement.
Your wall brackets may well not have these, or they may be worn out.
If this is the problem, I presume you will have to get some new wall brackets with the plastic inserts, unless you are very lucky and they fit your 30 year old brackets.
Either way, it will be radiator off wall time.
HTH Dave R
P.S. just considered that a spray lubricant (oil based or rubber/PTFE spray) may provide enough short term slippage to change the 'ding' or eliminate it. This would at least confirm the diagnosis.
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