A large proportion of homes and commercial premises in the UK have gas central heating installed, this uses water filled radiators to heat large area’s of your home or business. Therefore, this makes radiator maintenance an essential part of property upkeep, which may involve bleeding your radiators.
As plumbing and heating specialists we’re here to give you the lowdown on why and when you should bleed your radiators to ensure your central heating is functioning at its optimum capacity and are more energy efficient too.
How do you know you need to bleed a radiator?
Its really quite simple, turn on your heating allowing it to warm normally. Now check each radiator is fully heating up when your central heating is on. Each radiator should heat all the way to the top if your heating system is working properly, but if air is in the system radiators may not heat up at all or only be hot at the bottom. This is because the air is preventing the radiator from completely filling with hot water.
How often do I need to check and bleed my central heating?
The process of bleeding your radiators is fairly straightforward, as the air can be released from the radiators with a special radiator key that can be bought from most DIY shops. This key is used to open the air valve at the top of the radiator to expel the air from within, so the water fills right to the top.
However, this isn’t a process that should need to be done very often and should only be carried out if you have identified a cold spot in a radiator. The radiator system is designed to be airtight, thus air shouldn’t be able to get in easily. However, it doesn’t do any harm to check your radiators every few months to ensure you spot any air pockets early.
Need further help or advice?
Talk to the team at Interplumbing and Bathrooms. Call us on: 01782 950980
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