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Serving Southern Brazoria County

Why Is My Boiler Making That Rumbling Sound?

If your boiler is making a sound like a large tea kettle boiling, you really shouldn’t ignore it. That sound is called kettling, and it’s a symptom of a serious issue with your boiler system. If it isn’t fixed, it can easily lead to the entire system breaking down. So, read on to find out what causes boiler kettling, and what you should do about it.

Hard Water

Hard water is water with a very high magnesium and calcium content. While these substances are not a threat to your health, they can cause some serious problems for your plumbing systems. As hard water flows over a surface, it deposits small amounts of these minerals on it. These mineral deposits will eventually grow into lime scale, which restricts the flow of water through the pipes.

This is what happens in the boiler’s heat exchanger, which is pipe that the water flows through in order for the system to heat it. Lime scale in the heat exchanger traps the water in the pipe for longer than it’s supposed to be in there, causing it to boil and evaporate. This may come as a surprise, but most boilers are actually not supposed to literally boil water. As the water evaporates into steam, it expands by over a thousand times in volume. This puts immense pressure on the heat exchanger, which is what causes that rumbling sound.

What to Do

Most boilers are equipped with safety features to prevent the heat exchanger from rupturing, so you don’t have to worry about your boiler exploding. However, if the problem isn’t fixed the boiler could simply shut down as a safety measure. So, make sure you call for repairs if you notice this problem.

Switzerland Air offers comprehensive boiler repair services throughout Angleton, TX. Call today for service.

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