My Baseboard Heater is making a ticking sound? Even after I turned the breaker switch off?

Question

It has me a little worried and confused. I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep and kept hearing a ticking/buzzing sound by my bed. Turned out it was coming from my baseboard heater. I turned off the heat, still didn't stop. I turned off the breaker switch to all the heat in my apartment, still didn't stop. What could it be? How do I get it to stop? I tapped and banged on it a little bit, looked to see if anything was stuck inside, nothing. and it is on a wall that is not connected to anything but the outside.

Well, it's never done this before. I have lived here for over a year. I know the sound it makes when it's turning on or off and this is not it!

Answer 1

Baseboard heaters are constructed differently in as much as what type of heating method is used beneath the cover you are banging on. Some have an electric element that heat a chenical such as glycol while some have just a heating element.

I am assuming yours is the non-glycol type because that crackling sound is more prevalent with that type in the manner of which you have described.

First, you must disengage the electric to the baseboard heater and do so at the main breaker panel. DO NOT...I repeat...DO NOT...RELY ON THAT WALL SWITCH OR THERMOSTAT to disengage electric to that heater. YOU MUST DISCONNECT AT THE MAIN BREAKER PANEL SWITCH.

Next, remove the cover to the baseboard heater. Some are a snap-on design and some are screwed on at the ends.

When the cover is removed you will see a grid work of metal fins. These fins are made of aluminum which conducts heat very rapidly. These fins were slipped on to the heating element at factory thru a hole punched in the fins and the hole is as small as possible so as to stay the fins in position.

However, aluminum expands when heated more than does the element and the fins become loose fitting in their position as they expand and separate from the element. This is what causes the crackling noise and often heard vibration buzzing also.

The leading contributer to the noise is accumulation of clinging sediment such as dust and cobwebs that adhere to the aluminum fins where they touch the heating element, causing the fins to stick to the element and "snap-crackle-pop" as the fins expand from applied heat.

What can you do does have limitations. If the fins are far enough apart you can clean them with a toothbrush with an aluminum metal cleaner easily found at Lowes or Home Depot. Do not use a paste or a foam as those will leave a residue after cleaning. An excellent cleaner for this would be warm water mixed with amonia. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and eye goggles when using cleaning chemicals.

If the fins are close together you cannot do much more than vacuum them. This will help but not eliminate the excessive crackling noise.

If by chance that baseboard heater is removable then I would suggest you bring it to an auto service garage and ask a mechanic to blow it out as clean as possible. It's well worth a box of doughnuts in reward.

Even when new, fin type heaters will crackle a little but the sound increases with passing time as sticky sediment adheres where the fins make contact with the heating element.

Beyond this, be assured the crackling noise is not a danger and the heater is safe for continued use...

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
My Baseboard Heater is making a ticking sound? Even after I turned the breaker switch off?
It has me a little worried and confused. I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep and kept hearing a ticking/buzzing sound by my bed. Turned out it was coming from my baseboard heater. I turned off the heat, still didn't stop. I turned off the breaker switch to all the heat in my apartment,...

Answer 4

it sounds like to me it's just the metal expanding and contracting . it usually should stop after it cools down or heats up to operating temperature