‘Bleeding radiators’ is when you let out air that has become trapped inside. Trapped air causes the radiators to have cold spots, reducing the efficiency of them. You can bleed your radiators yourself, and it can vastly improve the efficiency of your entire heating system.
Step 1 : Turn your heating on
Switch your heating on so that all of the radiators in your home start to warm up. You’ll need to wait until your radiators are fully heated before moving on to the next stage of the process.
Step 2: Switch off heating
Step 3: ‘Bleeding’
– Attach the radiator key into the square section in the centre of the radiator valve
– Use a cloth or strong tissue paper to hold the radiator key
– Have another cloth under the radiator valve to catch any drips
– Turn the radiator key slowly in an anti-clockwise direction
– If air is escaping you’ll hear a hissing sound
– Once the air has escaped, liquid will start to leak from the valve
– Close the valve quickly by turning the radiator key
Step 4: Check the pressure
Check the pressure by having a look at the gauge on your boiler. If the pressure is too low, you’ll need to ‘top up’ to 1.5 bar. You can do this using the lever or tap on your boiler, known as the filling loop.
