Winter is well and truly on the way, and as families face mounting energy bills, it's more important that ever that your central heating is working as well as it should be.
Bleeding your radiator is the first step to ensure that your radiators are working as efficiently as possible, and it's usually at least an annual job as the heating is turned on for the first time for the season. A well-bled radiator gives out as much heat as possible and by bleeding the radiator, you're allowing the water in it to circulate freely by removing air bubbles trapped in the piping system.
The main way to tell if your radiator needs bleeding is by feeling the radiator when it's on and working out if it's hotter in some parts than other. It could be hot at the top and cold at the bottom, or simply not heating up as much as it usually does.
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Another sign is trapped air in your heating system which causes your radiators to gurgle and rattle. While this could be for various reasons, it most likely to be a alert that you need to bleed the radiator.
Before you start, assemble your toolkit. You will need:
- Radiator key - you can buy one for less than £1 at your nearest DIY and hardware store, local plumbers merchants and national retailers such as Screwfix.
- Mug or jug to collect water
- Cloth
- Safety Gloves
It's also a good idea to protect your floor near the radiator as sometimes the water can stain.
Homeserve has come up with this handy step-by-step guide to check and bleed your radiators:
- Turn your heating on: Turn your heating on and wait for all of the radiators in your home to warm up. The length of time will depend on how many radiators you have and the size of your home.
- Identify which radiators need bleeding: Check each radiator to ensure it has an even temperature across the whole surface area. If you do find any radiators that are cold at the top or hear any gurgling noises, it’s a good indicator that there’s trapped air inside and that you’ll need to bleed it. Tip: Wear thin gloves when checking each radiator as they may be very hot.
- Turn off your heating and wait for the radiators to cool: Before you start bleeding any radiators, turn off your heating so the radiators aren’t too hot to touch
- Place a cloth below the radiator bleed valve: Locate the radiator bleed valve and ensure that a cloth or an old towel is placed below it to catch any water that may be released. Tip: Every radiator has a bleed valve. They’re typically located at the top corner of a radiator and look like a round hole with a square inside.
- Open the valve and release the air: If no water or air comes out when you bleed the radiator, then the valve could be blocked with paint. Close the inlet and outlet valve at each end of the radiator, then remove the screw from the centre of the bleed valve. Insert the radiator key into the bleed valve and slowly turn it anti-clockwise (a quarter of a turn should be enough). You should hear a hissing sound as the air escapes. Tip: Have a mug handy to catch any spurting water, just in case you open the valve too far.
- Close the valve: Once the hissing sound stops and water starts to leak out, turn the key clockwise to close the valve.
- Check the boiler pressure: Repeat this process for each radiator that needs bleeding in your home. Once you’ve finished doing this, you’ll need to check the pressure of your boiler’s water pressure gauge. If the boiler pressure is too low (below 1 bar), you’ll need to repressurise the system. If the pressure is normal (between 1 and 2 bars), you can switch your heating on and check that your radiators are now heating up as they should.
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Test the heating: Boot up your central heating and have another feel of your radiators. All being well, there should be no more cold patches, meaning you can feel the full benefits of a warm home and save some cash on your bills.
So, how often should you bleed a radiator? Experts recommend you do a full check of the radiators in your home every couple of months. It's a good idea to check your radiators before the cold weather arrives, ensuring your heating system is running efficiently when you need it most.
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