Winter is coming is a line that gets used a lot more than it used to. But as we are firmly into October and this is Scotland – winter is truly coming!

And during the summer months, your homes heating system was most likely one of the last things on your mind. Which probably means that it has been a long long time since you last bled your homes radiators.

So to help get you back into the practice, here are our seven tips to combat a cold radiator and make sure your homes heating system is working efficiently and economically.

Warning: The water in a radiator can be very hot.  Take care so that you do not scold yourself.

Bleeding your radiator

Step 1 – Make sure all the radiators in your home are warmed up.  Depending on how big or small your home and how many radiators you have, this may take a while.

Step 2 – Check each radiator to ensure that there is an even temperature spread across the whole area of the radiator.  So if the top of the radiator is cold and the bottom is hot, that radiator definitely needs bled.

Step 3 – Turn off your boiler and wait for the radiators to cool.

Step 4 – Using a radiator bleed valve key, open up the bleed valve on the radiator.  Every radiator has a bleed valve. It is generally located in the top corner of a radiator and is a round hold with a square inside. Turn the bleed valve anti clockwise slowly with a cloth or rag underneath ready to catch any excess liquid.  As you open the valve, you should hear a hissing sound as air escapes.

Step 5 – Once the hissing sound stops, it should be replaced by water starting to leak out.  At this point, turn the radiator key clockwise to close the valve.

Step 6 – Repeat this process for all other radiators in your home.

Step 7 – Check your boiler pressure.  When you bleed radiators, it can lower the boiler pressure.  If the boiler pressure is too low (below 1 bar of pressure) then you will need to repressurise the system as it should be between 1 and 2 bars of pressure. Once this is done, you can turn your boiler back on and enjoy the heating benefits of properly bled radiators.

Need some help?

If you need some help then don’t worry.  We can help as part of a boiler service for just £65 + vat.  Your homes boiler should be serviced every year to ensure that it is in tip-top working condition and that includes your homes radiators.

Whether you have a Baxi Boiler, Potterton, Vaillant or any of the other manufacturers that we can work on, you can call on Wright Gas for your boiler servicing knowing that you are getting qualified, certified and trusted gas engineers across the West Coast of Scotland who can perform a quality service at a competitive price. Call Wright Gas today on 07746 942 768.