Keeping your home warm throughout the winter months is incredibly important, especially if there is anyone vulnerable within your home, such as young babies or the elderly. Many of us keep an eye on our boilers as this time of the year.
As the beating heart of your home, they provide desired heating at hot water to keep you safe and warm. But what about our radiators? These are just as important as they help spread warmth throughout your home. When was the last time you checked your radiators?
The Most Common Radiator Problems in Winter
Many issues when it comes to your heating don’t come from the boiler, they come from the radiators themselves. However, in the majority of cases, these are easy to solve on your own. Take a look at these common problems you can easily fix yourself:
Is your radiator hot at the bottom cold at the top? This means your radiators need to be bled. It’s a simple problem to solve with a radiator valve key. Follow the steps below to find out how you can bleed your radiators:
- Make sure your heating is off and the radiators are cold.
- Hold an old cloth, or a jug, under the bleed valve, and insert the bleed key.
- Turn anti-clockwise until air starts escaping (you’ll hear a hissing noise).
- When water starts to escape, turn the key clockwise to re-tighten the valve.
- Repeat on other radiators that need attention, making your way back towards the boiler.
- Turn your heating back on and check if your radiators are now heating up correctly.
Is your radiator hot at the top cold at the bottom? This might indicate a build-up of sludge. To solve this, take the radiator off the wall and flush it out with water. If this doesn’t solve the problem, it might be your pump that is the real issue.
When to Call a Professional
The below problems are just common, but they might be issues you should leave a professional to solve:
- Radiators aren’t heating up – If your heating is on but your radiators aren’t, a plumber is needed to help you find where the problem is.
- A noisy radiator – This can be due to air getting into the heating system. Your radiators may need a power flush or a pump replacement which needs to be conducted by a central heating engineer.
- A leaking radiator – If this happens, turn the valves off and contact a plumber as soon as possible.
At ADS Electrical & Mechanical, we offer the highest standards of installation and maintenance works. If you need a new system, upgrade on your own system or just a change of radiator valve, you can rely on us to provide you with the best solution.
With over 30 years’ experience in the Heating and Plumbing sector, our experienced engineers have a wealth of knowledge so you can trust that you’re in the right hands.
If you would like to find out more about our professional services, simply get in touch with our friendly team today by calling 01772 600110 and our experts, who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will be happy to answer any questions or
