Have you noticed your radiator hasn’t been working as well as it should?
This could be down to trapped air bubbles in your pipes and can easily be remedied by ‘bleeding’ your radiator or heater.

But don’t worry! It’s not as drastic or gory as it sounds! Bleeding your radiator simply means releasing trapped air from inside the system.

When water is heated and cooled continuously, air bubbles can be created. If air gets stuck inside your radiator coils it stops your heater from emitting the maximum amount of heat into your room, meaning it can cost you more money and waste energy to have your heater on when air is trapped inside.

You should ‘bleed’ your radiator twice a year to make sure it’s as efficient as possible at keeping your home nice and snug. If there’s a big difference in temperature between the top and bottom of your radiator, then it needs bleeding, here’s how to go about it:

o Turn your heating off
o Use your radiator key and insert it into the valve at the top of the radiator and turn it anti clockwise
o Make sure you have a bowl ready to catch any excess water that drips out!
o Turn the key slowly until you hear a hissing sound
o When the water drips out it means that all the trapped air has been released
o Turn the key back to the closed position

Bleeding your radiator can give your heating a whole new lease of life but if your radiator is still underperforming after you’ve followed these simple steps, call a professional to have it checked out. We’ve a list of installers in your area who maybe able to help, click here to do a postcode search.

For more advice on how to make your central heating system more efficient and bleeding your radiators see the Energy Saving Trust website.