Radiator ticking, do I need a plumber to stop it? (PigletJohn help please?)

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So, we recently moved DD to a different bedroom and she is now waking at 5.50 every day which is when the heating comes on. I think it's the radiator in her room "ticking", I heard it doing it when I went in the other day and she says she's hearing a noise. Until now the radiator has been off for a long time as we weren't really using the room. It's been bled since the move and it still ticks.

From a bit of googling it seems likely the noise is the radiator rubbing against the brackets as it expands with the heat. The ticking stops when I wobble the rad a bit (then starts again when I let go). I gather modern rads have a plastic bit in the bracket to stop the friction noise but I expect ours are too old for that.

I guess I could stop the noise by taking off the radiator and putting the plastic bit in, but that will mean a plumber. Is there any way to stop the noise without needing a plumber? Might it go away on its own as the rad gets used more ?

Could you try foam earplugs for her for now? If she sleeps through and isn't woken then you know it's the radiator noise which is the issue.

She's only 2 and a bit... I don't think she'd accept us putting them in or keep them in during the night! It's worth a try though, as she's a very light sleeper so gets woken by other noise too (and we are about to have another baby argh...)

if it is the radiator rubbing on the brackets, you might have a faint chance of lubricating them with a very long paintbrush dipped in thin oil or WD40. You could tie or tape a small (artists) brush to a rod or down. A torch and paintbrush will help. The brackets hook onto metal plates, there are two, one above the other.

If it works temporarily, at least you will have a good idea of there the fault is.

these but I bet if you sent an SAE to some radiator companies, they would send you a handful. Or phone.

If you ever take a radiator off yourself (easy) have a basin or tray at each end, and tip it into a bucket immediately. Then turn it upside down and it will not drip because the holes will be at the top. Black radiator sludge makes a permanent stain.

Ooh, that paintbrush idea sounds like a plan.

Is it easy to take a radiator off ourselves? how would I do that.... ? Won't water just gush out of the pipes when I take it off - I assumed I'd have to drain the system first?

Thanks so much

you close the valve at each end, then open the bleed valve. If nothing comes out, you know the valves are both shut. You then undo the large nut at each end of the radiator tails. With the bleed valve open, it will dribble out the water in the rad when you have undone the first nut and jiggle the joint. If you retighten the bleed valve it will (almost) stop dribbling.

You must not twist or bend the valves or you will bend the pipe, so you hold them steady with your other wrench.

In this example, the tail is the shiny bit with the screw thread pointing to the right. It screws into the radiator. You do not move it. The large nut holds the valve to the tail.

It might be an idea to buy a spare valve so you can see how it works and practice on the kitchen table first.

Thank you very much.

A few daft questions:

• when you say bleed valve, presume you mean the valve at the top of the rad which I open with the bleed key?

• when you say "large nut at each end of the radiator tails" - if I look at the picture you linked to, do you mean the horizontal nut underneath the white plastic cap, or the vertical nut which sits between the white plastic cap and the tail? I think you mean the vertical one between the cap and the tail?

• when you say "it will dribble out the water in the rad" where will the water come out - bleed valve or out of the nut I've just undone?

• I presume I keep draining till all the water is out, and then I can take the rad off (leaving the valves in place)? is that right?

I will first try on our kitchen rad (with bombproof kitchen floor rather than the new carpet in DD's room ).

• when you say bleed valve, presume you mean the valve at the top of the rad which I open with the bleed key?

yes

• when you say "large nut at each end of the radiator tails" - if I look at the picture you linked to, do you mean the horizontal nut underneath the white plastic cap, or the vertical nut which sits between the white plastic cap and the tail? I think you mean the vertical one between the cap and the tail?

yes

• when you say "it will dribble out the water in the rad" where will the water come out - bleed valve or out of the nut I've just undone?

the joint inside the nut

• I presume I keep draining till all the water is out, and then I can take the rad off (leaving the valves in place)? is that right

yes

It might be a gallon or so if a large rad. Drain from one side before undoing the other.

wrench set Tesco has something similar in its tool section

Thank you!! will give it a go probably with my dads help at the weekend.