By Becca Green
How to bleed a radiator: a step-by-step guide
Wondering how to bleed a radiator? This vital step ensures your heating is running efficiently this
winter.
Like most things, if you know how to do it, it’s a pretty simple task, but if you don’t it can seem daunting. Keep reading for the Good Homes easy-to-follow guide to bleeding a radiator…
How do you know if your radiator needs bleeding?
Wondering if you need to bleed your radiator or not?
A good place to start checking is by first turning on your central heating and double checking all radiators in your house – if any feel cooler than others, there’s a good chance they need bleeding.
These signs are also ones to look out for:
- Your radiator feels cold at the top
- It makes strange noises when heating up
- Damp patches or condensation have started to appear on areas surrounding the radiator
How do you bleed a radiator?
- Wait for the radiator to cool before attempting to bleed it, to avoid burning yourself. Once cool, you’ll need to locate the bleed valve, which is essentially a round hole with a square inside. This will be located at the top of the radiator, on one of the sides.
- Once you’ve located the valve, insert the bleed key (or a Philips head/crosshead screwdriver, for more modern radiators) and rotate about 90 degrees anti-clockwise to loosen. Make sure you use a cloth here, and lay down towels to catch any fluids that leak out.
- As you turn the key you’ll start to hear a hissing sound, indicating air is leaving the radiator. Continue with the key turned anti-clockwise until water begins to run out of the valve, indicating you’ve bled all of the air from the radiator (ideally, you want a bit of water to come out, but not a lot because it will create a mess).
- This process should take around 30 seconds, depending on the size of the radiator. Once water begins to run out of the valve, tighten the key again, taking care not to fasten too tightly. Use a towel to mop up any excess water, and move onto the next radiator.
Still not feeling confident? This video by heating experts at Worcester Bosch demonstrates how to bleed a radiator to keep your home warm this winter: