How to Bleed a Radiator

The heating system within your home can be as new as possible, however if you have air in your radiators then it will not be preforming to its full potential. The easiest way to tell if there is air in your radiator is if they are warm at the bottom but cold at the top when your heating is on.‹¯¨ The bleed valve is usually located at the top right of a radiator, and occasionally is covered by a cover or hatch. In this case open the cover and you will expose the bleed valve. It is much easier than you think to fix; all you need is a tissue, rag or bucket and a bleed key. Firstly switch the central heating system off because if your central heating is switched on whilst carrying out the work there is a danger that air can be sucked back into the radiator when you open the bleed valve. Take your rag, tissue or bucket and place it directly under the bleed valve. Once that’s done, take your bleed key and place it into the valve. Turn the key auntie-clockwise, this will open the bleed valve and any air that is in there will automatically be pushed out by the pressure the water is under. Once you see water coming out of the valve then your radiator is bled and you can close the valve. Once bled ensure the valve is tightened up fully. Once you have completed the process on one radiator then move on to the others and repeat the steps. If you have a combi boiler heating system, then you many find that the boiler loses pressure due to the air being expelled. In this case you will have to go back to your combination boiler and refill it; instructions for this should be in the user’s manual. Normal heating systems should automatically refill themselves.