How do I bleed a radiator? Complete and utter novice here

[Katiekitty]

How on earth do I do it? I've got a radiator key - do I have to switch the heating off before I do it? Will water spurt out?

Some radiators are getting hot at the bottom only, nothing happening heat-wise at the top of them...

Any tips? In noddy language please, I really haven't got a clue

[catMandu]

get a bowl, using the radiator key gently open up/turn the key - you will hear a hissing sound as the air leaves. Once you start to get water then turn the key back and lock it off. The bowl is just in case the water catches you unawares. You may also need to increase the pressure on your boiler.

[NaturalBornThreadKiller]

here you go

[NaturalBornThreadKiller]

start from the top, highest rad and work down i think is the way,

you might need to them top up the pressure in your boiler

[NaturalBornThreadKiller]

see here about tiopping up again

omnly needed oif the little pressure bar drops in to the red area while the boiler is off,

you will find a little valve under the oiler casing,

turn (usually) towards you till the pressure makes the bar rise back into the 'normal' range, dont add too much as the pressure goes up a little when the boiler is switched back on again,

[NaturalBornThreadKiller]

at the typos, bloody shite cheapo keyboard

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, thank you! I meant to post this question yesterday!

[psychomum5]

there should be a thingy at the top side of the radiator that the key fits into.

you turn until you hear hissing, let it hiss for a while, once water starts coming, it is 'bled'.

DO NOT, whatever you do, walk away while it is hissing..........flooding the room with rusty radiator water does not go down well with your DH/DP!!!

[Katiekitty]

Ok, the key bit dounds do-able...
Can I bleed the radiators when the heating is still on? Will I need to switch it off first?

I'm in a flat, all on one floor so should I start with radiator nearest to the boiler?

Also, how do I turn up the water pressure on the boiler?

Can just one person do the job (ie me! hopefully!), or is it a two person job - one to watch the pressure guage and one to do the key business?

Sorry for all the questions!

[psychomum5]

when DH has done it in the past, he has never (to my knowledge), switched the heating off, as he feels the radiator to feel the heat rising, therefore knowing when to turn the key back and prevent flooding.

I would like to say I am the font of all knowledge, but DH has discovered that I am a danger to jobs like this, and I am not allowed near him anymore!!

he does it on his own BTW

[NaturalBornThreadKiller]

heating off,

start with the rad furthest way i think

[Sidge]

You can do it yourself. Bleed the radiators whilst the heating is off, do the radiators in turn (I start nearer the boiler and work my way away from it, IME the radiator furthest away tends to have the most air in it) and then check the pressure afterwards.

To top up the system to increase the pressure depends on the boiler system you have - mine is a combi boiler and has a plastic key that fits in to an opening under the boiler. As I turn it 90 degrees the boiler fills with cold water and I can see on the gauge the needle rising. It needs to be around 1-1.5 bar.

[Katiekitty]

So - heating off, put the key in the square hole thing, put a container under the radiator, turn the key, wait to hear air hissing out, close the key, turn heating back on.

I'll have to have a closer look at the boiler to see about the pressure guage, to my knowledge, I don't have a key to turn in it, I feel out of my depth here but you're al explaining it really well! Thank you

[Sidge]

I don't use a container just a tea towel - let all the air out and as sson as you get a bit of water, stop.