Hi,

I have a 1 year old house and recently, due to the cold weather, I have started to use the central heating system and I have encountered an issue with a creaking/dripping sound inside the walls directly above where the boiler is situated. The sound starts immediately after the boiler fires up (it is set to maintain a constant temperature through the house so only fires up when needed). It sort of sounds like a creaking/dripping/tapping sound that is alarmingly loud (it can wake me up when it happens). It doesn't sound particularly "wet" though, I can't hear any "splishes" or "splats". When the boiler switches off the noise starts to end, but doesn't end right away. It sort of decreases in frequency, for example while the boiler was running it might sound like "tap...tap...tap...tap" but when the boiler turns off it gradually slows like "tap...tap......tap............tap................. ........tap".

Does anyone have any ideas as to what the causes may be? I am worried that water may be leaking inside the walls and though I can't feel any dampness on the interior walls, the grass outside the house next to the wall where this is happening is always damp, though I don't know if it is related. I believe I have plastic heating pipes if that helps.

Many thanks for any help you can provide!

It appears to me the sounds you hear are the house settling. That would make sense after one year old. Everything expands and contracts and you have to expect those kind of noises from material used within the house.

My house is 75 years old and I still occasionally hear taps, splats and creaking noises when the house starts heating up and of course, the same thing when it cools down. This mostly occurs during the night, and it always wakes me up, I am a light sleeper.

Tick

Knocking, popping, creaking and crackling pipes are a common complaint, especially in colder weather. I can tell you what's happening and take the mystery out of it but you're not going to like the repair. When a draw is made on a hot water line the line expands against a pipe strap next to a stud and when you drain hot water from your tub or shower it goes into a chase that is a little cooler then room temperature. The heat expands the pipe causing it to rub against the stud to which it is pipe strapped. This is the sound you hear. As it cools it contracts and the noise is heard again. To repair it you must tear open the walls and locate the pipe strap that's causing the problem and shim it tight. Most people when they learn what causes it just elect to live with it. Good luck and thank you for rating my answer. Tom