How to bleed your radiator
Bleeding your radiator every so often could potentially save you energy and improve your heating performance.
Radiator bleeding is the process of letting any trapped air escape from your home’s heating system, which will increase heating performance, get rid of those rattling sounds, and ultimately save you money on your heating bill in the long run.
When do I need to bleed my radiators?
To assess whether you need to bleed a radiator or not, start by turning on your heating system and allowing it to start warming up your radiators. While they’re warming up, listen for any clanking or rumbling sounds - this could very well be pockets of air rushing through your heating system.
The second sign to analyse whether your radiators need bleeding is once the radiators are sufficiently heated, run your hands along the top of the radiator. If it’s cold at the top and hot at the bottom, there’s likely to be a build-up of air in the system. Again, please take extra care here as the radiators will be hot, so be sure to use gloves.
We recommend regularly checking your radiators and bleeding them as necessary however a rule of thumb is bleeding them every year.
If you have to repeatedly bleed radiators, then discuss this with your installer when the boiler is serviced as there may be an underlying problem.
We have a create a 7-step guide to bleed your radiator
Gather your tools and identify which radiators need bleeding
The tools needed to bleed the radiator:
- A radiator key to open the bleeding valves of your radiators. This is used to open the radiator vent valve. These are purchasable from hardware stores or from online retailers.
- A bucket & cloth. Your radiator will leak water when the air has fully escaped, so you will want to catch it before it wets your floor.
- A pair of gloves. These will help protect your hands from any hot pipes or surfaces.
Switch off your heating and allow your radiators to cool down
Make sure your central heating system is turned off. This will stop your circulation pump from operating and moving heating water and air through your pipes, cooling down your radiators and making them safe to bleed. All thermostat valves need to be open.
After switching off your heating, wait approximately 1 hour (or 2 hours to be cautious) to ensure that all radiators are cold. This prevents you from getting burned in case hot water or steam leaks during the bleeding process.
Place the radiator key in the radiator valve
This is where you’ll begin to bleed the radiator. First, locate the radiator valve, which can usually be found at the upper side of the radiator - different models will have it located in different places, however. For reference, it looks like a small, round hole with a little square inside.
Prepare the area by placing the bucket beneath the valve and keep your cloth pressed against the wall to protect from spraying water.
Open the valve carefully and bleed the radiator
Slowly turn the radiator key anti-clockwise. A quarter to half a turn should be sufficient to open the valve enough for air to escape. You will hear a hissing noise as soon as air drops out of the radiator - that’s how you know you’re bleeding the radiator correctly. Do not continue opening the valve once you hear a hiss or you will risk leaking excess water out of your radiator.
Once the hissing stops and only water is exiting the valve, you have successfully bled that radiator and can close the valve. Do note that water can sometimes be discoloured from time spent in the system, this is not a cause for alarm.
Close the radiator valve
Before closing the valve, be sure to let a small amount of water run out before you turn the radiator key clockwise to close the valve. This ensures you’ve gotten rid of all trapped air in that radiator. Don't close the valve too tight, otherwise you might damage it.
Repeat the above steps for other radiators
You’ll want to bleed all the radiators that are affected by trapped air, though it doesn’t hurt to simply bleed every radiator and ensure there is absolutely no air left in the system. It’s easy to check by opening the valve and checking for the hiss - if it doesn’t hiss, you know your radiator is good to go.
Air will naturally rise as it is lighter than water, so bleed all radiators in the ground floor before heading upstairs if you have a multi-story property. This will ensure best results and save you time having to go back and forth.
Check water pressure and turn on your heading
Before you switch your heating back on, be sure to check the water pressure of the system by looking at the pressure gauge or digital display on the boiler - you may get an F22 fault code (please refer to the operating instructions for guidance if you are unsure). The boiler should read between 1 to 1.5 bar of pressure when the central heating is cold.
If the pressure is too low, you need to refill the heating water. If you are unsure how to refill your boiler, watch our video on pressurising your boiler here.
Finally, check if all radiators are warming up evenly and noises have been reduced. That’s all there is to it! Do be sure to bleed your radiators regularly to ensure the best heating performance.
Is your heating system still not working properly?
Contact an installer if your heating system keeps showing problems.
FAQs
When should I bleed my radiator?
We recommend bleeding your radiators if you notice rattling or other unfamiliar noises of your heating pipes, however as a rule of thumb we recommend bleeding your radiators every year.
Why should I bleed my radiators?
Air continuously collects in your heating pipes and radiators, hindering the water from circulating. This results in radiators heating slowly, warming only in parts or staying completely cold. This impedes the heating power and leads to higher energy consumption. Additionally, the oxygen in the air in the system causes corrosion which can result in leaking and debris in your radiators.
Can wrong bleeding result in serious damage?
If you follow the steps as described above, it is perfectly safe to bleed your radiators.
How long does it take to bleed a radiator?
After switching off your heating, you should wait for one hour and let the pipes and radiators cool down. The bleeding process itself takes approximately five minutes for each radiator.
On which position should my radiator thermostat be during bleeding?
Your radiator thermostats should be completely open during the bleeding process. But the heating system itself needs to be switched off.
My radiators are still not heating up properly- what should I do now?
After bleeding your radiators, switch your heating back on. Wait for an hour and check if all radiators are now heating up properly. In some cases it might be necessary to bleed your radiators again. If this doesn't help, we suggest you contact an installer for professional help.
