How To Bleed A Radiator

Unlike electric heating systems, radiator heating systems can sometimes stop working because of air trapped within the system

. If the top of a radiator feels cold and the bottom feels warm, then it's quite likely trapped air is forming bubbles within the piping that stops the flow of warm water from bottom to top. The time has come to bleed your radiators. In essence, bleeding a radiator means opening a valve to let the trapped air escape.

Look at your radiators and locate all the bleed valves. You can identify a bleed valve on a radiator as a small protrusion within a small cylinder. A bleed valve may be anywhere on the radiator, at an end, on the top or on the back. Also, a radiator may have more than one bleed valve.

You will need a radiator bleed key, a small key usually made of brass with a cross-piece at one end and a hollow at the other end that fits on top of the bleed valve -- if one can't be found, a standard replacement bleed key can be bought at a local DIY shop.

You'll need a few more items before you start: o Small bowl to catch any water that leaks out while bleeding the valve o Cloth to protect your hand and to sop up water

Follow these steps to bleed a radiator:

1. Before you start bleeding your radiator, go to the main controls and turn off the central heating. You do not want more water or more air to be brought into the system while you have the bleed valves open.

2. Place the small bowl under the bleed valve to catch any dripping water.

3. Wrap the cloth around your hand to protect it against steam and hot water escaping the radiator via the bleed valve.

4. Slide the bleed key down onto the bleed valve until it fits firmly over the protrusion.

5. Turn the bleed key slowly at least a quarter-turn counter-clockwise. Air will begin to hiss out of the valve. When water starts to drip out of the valve, close the valve by turning the key clockwise.

6. Tighten the bleed valve with the key to make sure it's fully closed.

7. Repeat Steps #2-6 for all the bleed valves on the radiator on which you've started and then move on to the rest of the radiators in the house that are exhibiting the same symptoms.

8. If you have a combi boiler, check the pressure gauge when you are all done bleeding the radiators to see if the boiler has sufficient pressure -- the dial on the pressure gauge will have a line indicating the minimum pressure needed. If the pressure is too low, open the valve slowly on the filling loop to bring more water into the system -- close this valve when the dial indicates the pressure is at the correct level.

9. Switch on the central heating. Within a few hours, all the radiators should be uniformly warm all over. Check all the bleed valves for any dripping water and tighten them if necessary.

Remember that a radiator system requires maintenance such as this fairly often and electric heating systems do not.

by: Jamie Simpson

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