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Hi, I'm Steve.
I'm going to show you how to bleed a radiator. It's actually quite simple.
You'll know when your radiator needs bleeding,
because the radiators will feel cold at the top and warm at the bottom.
This happens because air and gas gets trapped inside the radiator, causing cold spots.
This in turn, prevents hot water from heating it properly.
OK, let's start. Make sure you have a radiator key and a rag or cloth to hand.
The first thing you need to do is turn off your central heating system.
Find the valve at the top of your radiator.
Then, using your radiator key, insert it into the square shaped groove and turn the key
anti-clockwise, until you hear a hissing sound.
This lets you know that air is being released from your radiator.
Have your cloth ready to catch any water that may come out.
Once the water has run clear, re-tighten the valve and restart your heating system.
Now it's worth checking the pressure by having a look at the gauge on your boiler,
because bleeding radiators can cause it to drop.
If the pressure is too low, you'll need to top it up. You can do this using the lever
or tap on your boiler. It's known as the 'filling loop'.
Once you've done this, check your radiator by feeling it carefully.
If it's heating up evenly, the job's done.
Remember, you should bleed your radiators once a year to keep your central heating in
tip-top condition. If your radiators need bleeding more often, air is getting into the
system and should be looked at by a professional.
Remember: Turn off your heating first.
Turn the radiator key until you hear a hissing sound.
The water should run clear before re-tightening the valve.
Check the pressure when finished. Top up if too low.
Bleed your radiators once a year.
There are two main instances when you will need a professional engineer to fix your radiators.
If your radiators are cooler in one area of the house than another, then they aren't properly balanced.
The radiators nearest to the boiler will be taking more than their fair share from the system.
Secondly, cold spots at the bottom of a radiator are normally due to a build-up of
rust and sludge, settling at the bottom.
If this happens, we'll send someone round to flush your system.
If you're not sure or need more information just give us a call.