Bleeding radiators may seem intimidating, but it’s a fairly simple process that can be carried out at home with nothing more than a bucket and some tubing. Just follow these steps and you should have no problem bleeding your radiators on your own in just a few minutes. Our full guide on how to bleed radiators will show you the way, whether you’re in London or anywhere else in the UK. At TMT Boilers, we provide services throughout the London area with all kinds of plumbing needs, so feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this or anything else.
Why Do I Need to Bleed My Radiators?
If your heating system is not functioning at its full capacity, it may be because your radiators are blocked or clogged. Blocked radiators can often be unblocked by simply bleeding them. To do so, we need to turn off our heating supply and bleed each radiator in turn to remove any blockages. Here are some signs in which your radiator needs bleeding:
- Radiators cold at the top
- The entire radiator is cold
- Mould or damn around the house
- Radiators are ratting
How Do I Bleed Radiators
Bleeding a radiator is a delicate task, but it’s something you can do on your own if you take things slowly and approach them methodically. Follow these steps:
- First off, prepare for bleeding by making sure all relevant tools are ready to go. You’ll need a radiator key, a bucket with water in it (or a hose attached to your tap), and a radiator cloth. Make sure your heating is turned off.
- Next, use your radiator key to loosen any caps covering bleed valves; these should be found near where pipes enter or exit each radiator. You should hear a hissing sound coming from the radiator.
- Use a cloth or jug to catch any water that leaks out of your radiator. When the hissing noise stops, turn the valve clockwise to tighten it.
- Turn your central heating back on and then check the pressure of your radiators by looking at the gauge on the radiator.
- When you’re done, tighten up your bleed valve caps and flush away any remaining cleaner with running water. Your radiators should now be clean and ready to heat up again! If not, repeat these steps until they are. If you are struggling to bleed your radiator, don’t hesitate and contact us and we will guide you through these steps.
How Often Should I Bleed My Radiators?
It is recommended that you bleed your radiators every six months. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can end up with water all over your floor or carpets. It’s a good idea to do it as part of regular maintenance. If you notice any signs of leaks (for example, air bubbles escaping from one radiator and not another), then it’s probably time to start bleeding your radiators.
How To Bleed a Radiator With Broken Bleed Valve
With boilers, radiators should be bled using a bleed valve. If your boiler is working properly and has been set up correctly, it shouldn’t have any issues when bleeding radiators without a bleeder valve. But if you do have problems bleeding a radiator, especially one that has a broken bleed valve, contact TMT Boilers today and we can help answer your queries over the phone.
How to Bleed Radiators With A Combi Boiler
A combi boiler is a very efficient and cost-effective way to heat your home, but when you are bleeding radiators it can be quite a bit trickier than a standard system. Follow these six steps:
- The first step of bleeding radiators with a combi boiler is making sure that all radiators in your home should be fully heated. Check your radiator for cold spots.
- Next, turn off any heating systems that are connected to your boiler; if you have a hot water cylinder, switch it off as well. Make sure that all heating sources are turned off while doing maintenance tasks such as bleeding radiators; turning them back on too soon could cause leaks in your plumbing system and water damage to your property.
- Then make sure that there is enough pressure in your system before opening up any radiator valves – if there isn’t enough pressure then turn on any hot taps or boilers to increase pressure.
- Once you have done all of these things, open up each radiator valve using the radiator bleed key and start bleeding.
- Close them again immediately, but not too tightly and wait until steam stops rising from each valve. This process should take between 30 seconds and two minutes per valve depending on how long it has been since your last maintenance session.
- As stated above, bleeding radiators with a combi boiler requires more effort than other types of systems. It may seem daunting, but if you follow our instructions above you shouldn’t run into too many problems!
Heating Services Near Me
We are based in central London and surrounding areas, so if you are looking to bleed your radiators or require any other services, contact us to get it done the right way. We can help you with boiler installation, servicing, repairs and power flushing. If you require these services or need further assistance, contact us at TMT Boilers anytime! Our highly trained engineers are happy to help you.