# Baseboard heating noises

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseboard-heating-noises/141394>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseboard-heating-noises/141394 "2002-12-09T00:44:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseboard-heating-noises/141394/1 "2002-12-09T00:44:20Z")

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My apartment has baseboard heating. Sometimes I hear the sound of water running through it, and other times there is a clicking noise. I understand the water is the hot water which heats the room. But what is the clicking noise? I hear either one sound or the other when the heater is working.

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**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseboard-heating-noises/141394/2 "2002-12-09T00:52:21Z")

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Either the thermostat or the sound of thermal expansion as the radiating fins expand.

If you are ever in a completely silent place: turn off the engine of your car and listen - as the various materails cool, they shrink - and not all at the same rate - they go “ping”.

Your heaters are doing the same thing, in reverse.