How to… Bleed a Radiator
With energy prices still high and unsettled, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your central heating system is up to the mark and ready to keep your home warm during those cold and long winter months. The key to this is regularly maintaining your appliances, and especially our friend, the radiator. In this ‘how to’, we will share how to maintain radiators by bleeding them including why radiators need bleeding, how to bleed your home radiator, and other benefits to maintaining excellent radiator health.
So What Can a Healthy Radiator Do for your Home? Let’s dive into the benefits.
Consistent and Efficient Heating – When radiators are in good condition, they can distribute heat evenly across all rooms, eliminating cold spots and ensuring a comfortable environment throughout your home.
Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings – When radiators function properly, they use less energy to produce the desired level of warmth. This improved efficiency not only reduces energy bills month on month but also leads to substantial long-term cost savings.
Prolonged Radiator Lifespan – Ensuring radiators are free from rust, leaks, and blockages helps prevent major issues that could lead to costly repairs or replacements.
Easy Upkeep and Maintenance – Simple tasks such as regularly bleeding your radiators, checking for leaks, and ensuring the valves function properly can significantly affect their performance and longevity.
Improved Air Quality – Clean and free from dust and debris, radiators circulate cleaner air throughout your home.
Enhanced Home Comfort—Consistent and reliable heat creates a cosy atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy your living space.
Reduced Risk of Breakdowns – Regular maintenance helps identify and address potential issues before they become significant problems, reducing the risk of sudden breakdowns.
Different Types of Radiators
Radiators fall into four main categories:
1) Plumbed // The traditional radiators require water heating and heating the space.
2) Electrical // A thermo-fluid is replaced with water and heated using electricity.
3) Dual fuel // These radiators work on both gas and electricity.
4) Oil-filled // As the name suggests, these radiators are hollow and filled with oil heated by the heating element. They run on electricity.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on water-based radiators. Only water based radiators need bleeding. This will not apply to electric and oil-filled radiators.
Why Do We Need to Bleed a Radiator?
Bleeding radiators is essential for properly functioning and maintaining its health. If you are experiencing issues with your radiator not heating the space properly, there is a high chance that there are air pockets in the device stopping the hot water from flowing and distributing heat evenly. To get rid of these air pockets, you must bleed the radiator. If you don’t bleed the radiator, then it will put more strain on the boiler, and could do even greater damage. But if, even after bleeding your radiator, you are still experiencing problems with heating, you should call a professional to get it investigated further. This means it needs we will need to either drain or flush the system.
How to Know When a Radiator Needs to be Bled
As the air gets trapped inside, you might notice either gurgling sounds while heating or that it takes longer than usual to heat the space. Another good way to see if a radiator needs bleeding is if it is cold to touch at the top and warm or hotter at the bottom (maybe even at the pipe feeding the radiator).
We recommend you do this yearly to ensure any water-based radiators run at optimum.
What You Need to Bleed a Radiator
You don’t need an extensive toolbox to bleed the radiator. All you need is:
● Wrench or screwdriver or a radiator key (which you can find in any good hardware store)
● A bucket (to collect any escaping water)
● Gloves
● A towel or a clean cloth
How to Bleed a Radiator?
Bleeding a radiator is a simple DIY task. Here we break it down into a simple step-by-step guide for you to follow.
Step 1 // Turn off the heat
Firstly, make sure you have switched the heating off and given it enough time to cool down. This is crucial, as otherwise hot water might steam out of the valve and can burn.
Step 2 // Prepare the area
Now that you have turned off the radiator, as you are waiting for it to cool down, place the empty bucket at the base of the radiator to the side of the valve and get an old towel or cloth ready to help wipe off the extra water.
Step 3 // Open the radiator valves
Open the radiator valve with the wrench or radiator key. Ensure that both intake and exit valves are open before inserting the radiator key or the wrench. Once you open the valve and insert the key, you will hear the hissing sound as air has started escaping the radiator. Keep your eye on the valve; don’t be surprised if you see a little bit of water spurting out of the valve. You will need to keep wiping any droplets of water around. This is where the bucket will be handy to collect the escaping water.
Step 4 // Close the valve
When all the air has been released and you see a steady stream of water flowing out, the radiator has bled enough. It is time to close the valve with the radiator key. Ensure you have tightened the valve properly and the water has stopped flowing.
Step 5 // Check the pressure level of the boiler
The ideal pressure level is between 12 and 15 psi. After bleeding the radiator, give the pressure some time to reach its normal range.
Step 6 // Test the radiator
Lastly, double check that you have bled the radiator and closed the valve properly. Then it is time for you to turn on the heat. Within minutes you can notice that the radiator has started warming up. It can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour for a radiator to reach its full heating capacity and distribute warmth evenly. See if the radiator is functioning correctly.
Remember, if you continue to experience issues with your radiator after bleeding it, book one of our maintenance experts and let us help you get to the bottom of any persistent issues. We hope this helps!
