Well it’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the mornings are dark and it’s time to turn the heating on. No one wants it and yet it’s inevitable. But, hold your horses there a second, it’s not just a case of turning it on! We need to check that all our radiators are working correctly when we first turn the heating on for the winter. So once we flick the switch and the radiators are up to temperature have a wander around your home and check each one individually. Check for leaks and also feel each radiator to check they are fully warm. Like me you may find some that are cold to the touch at the top but warm at the bottom. Or not warm at all. Chances are that air is in your system. Here’s how to bleed a radiator and get you back to full operating temperature.
The dreaded cold spots in your radiators means that there’s tapped air inside them. Air naturally rises to the top taking the place of the hot water that should be there to heat your radiator. Luckily, letting the air out (or bleeding) the radiator is a really simple job. It only takes a few minutes of your time. Not only will it help to keep your home feeling toasty but could also save you money on your bills. Your boiler is doing the same amount of work and using up the same amount of energy as it would when there’s no air in your system. But you’re not getting the benefit of maximum heat output therefore the boiler is working for longer to reach the temperature on your thermostat. And by making your home more energy-efficient, you’ll be doing your little bit for the environment too. Let’s get out heating winter ready!
STEP 1
Before we go any further check you have a radiator bleed key. Our house seems to eat them and every year I find that I have to buy a new one. Thankfully they’re not expensive and easy to get hold of too. Once you’ve made sure you have one to hand it’s time to check the radiators. But to be 100% sure that all your radiators are fully operational take a trip around your home to make sure that each one is turned up fully.
STEP 2
Now’s the time to walk around your home checking each radiator one by one for cold spots. Check them all over. Unless you have asbestos fingers it’s a good idea to wear gloves at this point, so you don’t burn yourself. Radiators that make gurgling sounds, take a long time to heat up, are significantly colder to touch at the top compared to the bottom or are completely cold are likely to need bleeding. Make sure to check every single radiator (including your bathroom towel towel rail if you have one) as more than one may need bleeding.
STEP 3
Now you’ve checked all your radiators and have worked out which ones need bleeding turn off your heating. This is important because some boilers will actually suck more air into the system if they’re turned on when you open up the bleed valves on your radiators making the situation worse, not better.
STEP 4
Now wait for the whole system to cool down. This is important to prevent you from burning your fingers when you bleed the radiators. Nobody wants boiling water spurting all over their hands. And you’d look a little foolish explaining it down at A&E. Plus this allows the contents of your radiators to settle too so that they bleed more effectively.
STEP 5
Now it’s time to grab your supplies. We’ve already checked that we have a bleed/radiator key but there’s a few extra bits we will need too. You’ll need a cloth to hand, old towels to put down and a container (I usually use a saucepan) to catch any drips. Sometimes the water in your system can get quite discoloured so putting old towels down is a must especially if you have new or light coloured carpets.
STEP 6
Next up we need to locate the bleed valve on our radiator. It will be at the top of the radiator located at one end. It will have a round hole with a square inside it. This is the bleed valve and this is where we will release the air and most probably some water too. Place your old towels on the floor under the valve and have a cloth and your saucepan close to hand.
STEP 7
Attach the radiator key to the square bit in the valve and give it a turn anti clockwise. Be careful not to unwind it too much other wise you will end up with water everywhere. You should hear a hissing sound as the air that is stuck inside escapes. have your cloth handy to catch any drips and your saucepan below the valve just in case you get more water than you bargained for.
STEP 8
Keep the valve undone until all the air has been released. At first you will just hear hissing. Then you will get more of a spluttering sound with some air mixed with a little water. This is absolutely normal, but still means that there is air in the radiator. Wait until you have a steady stream of water to be 100% sure that all the air is gone. In can take anything from a few seconds to a minute or so to reach this stage depending on how much air is trapped inside your radiator.
STEP 9
Now it’s time to tighten up the valve. Finger tight is fine so that you don’t have any problems undoing it again in the future. Mop up any spills and move onto the next radiator that needs bleeding if you have more than one.
STEP 10
Once you have bleed all your radiators it’s time to turn the heating back on. But first if like me you have a combi boiler that provides instant hot water you need to check the water pressure in the system. By releasing the air from your radiators you will have lowered the overall pressure in your heating system and may need to top up the water. It’s easy enough to top up by using the filling loop underneath.
Now pop your heating back on and wait for the radiators to come back up to temperature. Sometimes air moves around the system when you bleed radiators and it’s important to go back around the house to check for cold spots again. You may find the odd radiator needs bleeding a second time. If so repeat the previous steps to ensure your heating system is in tip top condition for the winter. And there we have it, how to bleed a radiator in 10 easy to follow steps.
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