Over time, air will start to build up in your central heating system. This makes cold spots, and the panels aren’t as good at moving heat away. So, bleeding the radiators in your home is one of the easiest ways to improve how well they work, which will make your home more comfortable.
The video below, which is hosted by Craig Phillips, explains this simple process the best. Remember him? Big Brother 1’s all-around good egg? Anyway, it’s less than 3 minutes long, so give it a look. There are also easy instructions below.
How to Make Radiators Work
What you need to have;
- A flathead screwdriver
- or a radiator key
- Old rags/sponge
Step 1:
First, turn on the heating and warm up all the radiators in your home. This will also make the radiators have more pressure.
Step 2:
Walk around each radiator and write down which ones have cold spots, which are usually near the top of the panel. Here is where a lot of air has gathered.
Step 3:
Turn off the heat, and when the radiators have cooled down a bit, you can start the bleeding process. If you don’t have a bleed key, some valves have a slot that a flat-headed screwdriver can fit into.
To get rid of the extra air, use the radiator bleed key. A brass one is best. Turn the square bleed screw or screwdriver slowly in a counterclockwise direction. You can hear the air hissing as it goes out. Use the rags or sponge to soak up any water that drips. Once all the air has been let out, a jet of water will come out instead of a drip. Quickly close the valve and screw it down.
Bleed each radiator until all of them are done.
Step 4:
Turn back on the central heating and check again for cold spots. Repeat the steps as often as you need to.
Step 5:
If none of this works, the pressure inside the boiler may not be high enough to force the air out. Follow the steps, which are usually written on the front of the boiler, to bring the pressure back up.
Also, if the process works, the pressure in the boiler may have dropped and may need to be topped up.
All done, nice, and easy.
