Air can sometimes get trapped in radiators and prevent them from fully warming up. While you should never attempt to repair a boiler yourself, bleeding your radiators is something you can safely do yourself.
To do this, you’ll need either a bleed key or a flat-head screwdriver, depending on your radiators. Some release of water is also inevitable, so you’ll want a container to catch it and a cloth and old towel to clean up.
When your heating is on, carefully check each radiator for cold spots or suspicious gurgling sounds. A radiator in need of bleeding will usually be warm at the bottom but cold at the top, due to trapped air. Make a note of which need bleeding, and which don’t.
Next, turn off the heating and allow the radiators to cool to avoid the risk of being scalded. For each radiator you identify as needing bleeding, use the key or screwdriver to slowly open the valve at the top of the radiator until you can hear air escaping. Keep the valve slightly open until the air is replaced by water, and quickly tighten the valve before cleaning up any water and moving onto the next radiator in need of this action.
Releasing air and water from the system may mean you need to re-pressurise the boiler, so consult your boiler’s manual for this. If cold spots persist on radiators after bleeding, you may have sludge in your system. In this case, you will likely require a powerflush, a job which will need to be performed by a qualified heating specialist.
Xgas engineers are fully able and qualified to perform a powerflush in Chester and other nearby locations. Get in touch today to learn more about the services offered by Xgas.
