Why Does My Radiator Click When the Heating Comes On?
For a radiator or nearby heating pipe that starts clicking, ticking or creaking as the heating warms up, then usually settles once everything is hot.
What this usually means
A radiator that clicks when the heating comes on is often reacting to temperature change rather than failing. As the radiator and pipes warm, the metal expands slightly; if a pipe is tight through a floorboard, a bracket is rubbing, or the radiator is moving against its supports, that movement can sound like repeated ticks. Trapped air can also make heating systems noisy, but air is more likely when you hear gurgling or the radiator has cold areas near the top. The useful clue is whether the clicking only happens while the system is heating up or cooling down, or whether it continues with poor heating performance.
What may be causing this
The radiator is expanding and contracting as it heats and cools
Clues: The clicking starts soon after the heating comes on, slows as the radiator reaches temperature, and may return briefly while it cools.
What to do: This is often normal. If the noise is mild and there are no other symptoms, no repair may be needed.
A pipe is rubbing where it passes through a floor, wall or clip
Clues: The noise sounds as if it comes from the floor or wall beside the radiator rather than the radiator panel itself.
What to do: Accessible pipework can be checked for tight contact points. A heating engineer can investigate concealed pipe runs if the noise is persistent enough to justify opening finishes.
The radiator is moving slightly against its wall brackets
Clues: The click seems to come from one or both bracket points and follows heat-up or cool-down.
What to do: Check that any manufacturer-supplied plastic bracket inserts or packers are present and correctly seated. Do not lift a heavy radiator off the wall without proper support.
There is trapped air in the radiator or heating circuit
Clues: Clicking is accompanied by gurgling, a cold top section, or uneven heating.
What to do: Bleeding may help if there are genuine signs of trapped air. Do not bleed a radiator purely because it clicks if it is heating evenly.
How to check what is happening
Thermal expansion is the most likely explanation.
Trapped air is less likely to be the main cause.
The expanding pipe may be rubbing against the building fabric.
Movement against the brackets or missing inserts may be causing the tick.
Can you fix this yourself?
You can usually identify whether the sound follows warm-up, check for a cold top, and inspect accessible bracket inserts or visible pipe contact points. Bleeding is reasonable only when trapped air is actually indicated. Persistent noise from concealed pipes, loose brackets or poorly supported radiators is better handled by a heating engineer.
- Radiator key only if bleeding is genuinely indicated
- Torch
- Cloth
- Phone for recording where the noise is loudest
What you can safely try
- 1
Listen through one complete heat-up cycle
Start with the system cool, turn the heating on and note when the clicking begins, how long it lasts and whether it stops once the radiator is hot. Repeat the observation as the radiator cools.
- 2
Check whether the radiator heats evenly
A radiator that clicks but heats properly from top to bottom is behaving differently from one that gurgles and stays cold at the top. Use that distinction before deciding to bleed it.
- 3
Look for obvious rubbing points
Once everything is cool, inspect visible pipes where they pass through floorboards or clips and look at the radiator bracket points. Do not force pipes or lift the radiator.
- 4
Bleed only if trapped air is actually present
If the top is cold or you hear gurgling, bleeding may be appropriate. If the radiator is evenly hot and the noise is a brief tick during warm-up, bleeding is unlikely to change it.
- 5
Get persistent or worsening noises checked
If the clicking is loud enough to disturb sleep, continues after the system is hot, or seems to come from concealed pipework, a heating engineer can check brackets, pipe clearance and system condition.
Call a heating engineer if…
- The radiator is loose on its brackets.
- A pipe or valve is leaking.
- The clicking is accompanied by banging, severe vibration or poor heating performance.
- Investigation would require lifting floors or moving the radiator beyond your experience.
Get the right heating engineer.
We already know this problem maps primarily to a heating engineer. Choose the closest type of work, add your postcode and continue in the form.
Sources used for this guide
We prefer primary UK guidance, regulators and manufacturers for technical and safety-sensitive claims.
- Why is My Radiator Making Noises? A Guide to Noisy RadiatorsStelrad
- How to fix noise in central heating pipes?Vaillant
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026. Home Manual updates review dates only when the substance of a guide is checked or changed.