How to look after your radiators
To keep your radiators working properly you need to assess whether you need to bleed a radiator or not, start by turning on your heating system and allowing it to start warming up your radiators.
While they’re warming up, listen for any clanking or rumbling sounds - this could be pockets of air rushing through your heating system.
When your radiators have heated up, run your hands along the top of the radiator. If it’s cold at the top and hot at the bottom, there’s likely to be a build-up of air in the system. Please take extra care as the radiators will be hot, so be sure to use gloves.
If your radiator is cold at the top and hot at the bottom, the radiator will need bleeding to release the air.
We recommend regularly checking your radiators and bleeding them as necessary however a rule of thumb is to bleed them every year.
If you have to repeatedly bleed radiators, then discuss this with one of our engineers or when your boiler is serviced as there may be an underlying problem.
How to bleed your radiators
Step 1
Gather your tools and identify which radiators need bleeding
The tools needed to bleed the radiator:
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A radiator key to open the bleeding valves of your radiators. This is used to open the radiator vent valve. These are purchasable from hardware stores or from online retailers.
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A cloth or tissue. Your radiator will leak water when the air has fully escaped, so you will want to catch it before it wets your floor.
Step 2
Switch off your heating and allow your radiators to cool down
Make sure your central heating system is turned off. This will stop your circulation pump from operating and moving heating water and air through your pipes, cooling down your radiators and making them safe to bleed. All thermostat valves need to be open.
After switching off your heating, wait approximately 1 hour (or 2 hours to be cautious) to ensure that all radiators are cold. This prevents you from getting burned in case hot water or steam leaks during the bleeding process.
Step 3
Place the radiator key in the radiator valve
This is where you’ll begin to bleed the radiator. First, locate the radiator valve, which can usually be found at the upper side of the radiator - different models will have it located in different places, however. For reference, it looks like a small, round hole with a little square inside.
Prepare the area by placing the bucket beneath the valve and keep your cloth/tissue pressed against the wall to protect from spraying water.
Step 4
Open the valve carefully and bleed the radiator
Slowly turn the radiator key anti-clockwise. A quarter to half a turn should be sufficient to open the valve enough for air to escape. You will hear a hissing noise as soon as air drops out of the radiator - that’s how you know you’re bleeding the radiator correctly. Do not continue opening the valve once you hear a hiss or you will risk leaking excess water out of your radiator.
Once the hissing stops and only water is exiting the valve, you have successfully bled that radiator and can close the valve. Do note that water can sometimes be discoloured from time spent in the system, this is not a cause for alarm unless it is dark brown or black, if so
Step 5
Close the radiator valve and repeat steps for other radiators
Before closing the valve, be sure to let a small amount of water run out before you turn the radiator key clockwise to close the valve. This ensures you’ve gotten rid of all trapped air in that radiator. Don't close the valve too tight, otherwise you might damage it.
You’ll want to bleed all the radiators that are affected by trapped air.
Air will naturally rise as it is lighter than water, so bleed all radiators in the ground floor before heading upstairs if you have a multi-story property. This will ensure best results and save you time..
Step 6
Check water pressure and turn on your heating
Before you switch your heating back on, be sure to check the water pressure of the system by looking at the pressure gauge or digital display on the boiler. The boiler should read around 1 bar of pressure when the central heating is cold.
If the pressure is too low, you need to refill the heating water. If you are unsure how to refill your boiler, please be sure to contact AEM Plumbing and Heating Ltd.
Finally, check if all radiators are warming up evenly and noises have been reduced.
