To have never bled my radiators?

[RagzReturnedUnwrapped]

Having issues with some of them not getting hot, or the thermostatic knobs don't work. Was Googling how to fix them and radiator bleeding came up. I'm aware it's a thing that you can do to fix the system, but I didn't realise it was a normal maintenance job that you're supposed to do every year.
According to this article www.shellenergy.co.uk/blog/post/how-to-bleed-your-radiators
you should do it regularly to keep them efficient. No wonder ours are useless!

So, is it just me? Are you all regularly bleeding radiators?

I get them bled when my boiler is serviced. If you bleed them yourself, you may have to top up the water level and if you overdo this you will damage your boiler very expensively. I found this out the hard way so I no longer do it myself.

@AuntyBumBum

What is the point of this thread. How in gods' name do the radiator habits of other people affect your heating?

What is the point of you whingeing on a thread you're not interested in?

We taught DD how to do it when she was complaining about the radiators in her student house not working very well and bought her a radiator key to take back with her.

Next day she gleefully reported she had bled all the radiators in the house and it was so much warmer and all the friends she shared with were dead impressed.

Life skills!!

@5foot5

We taught DD how to do it when she was complaining about the radiators in her student house not working very well and bought her a radiator key to take back with her.

Next day she gleefully reported she had bled all the radiators in the house and it was so much warmer and all the friends she shared with were dead impressed.

Life skills!!

Excellent! DS1 was very interested in the process, we will definitely teach them how to do it. I didn't grow up with CH, but I could light a decent fire before leaving home.

We have one radiator in particular that seems to collect air. That's the only one I bleed, maybe every 6 mths?

Hell no.
The system is so antiquated it'd probably be terminal.

I also didn't grow up with CH, so it was all a mystery to me until I realised I needed to know it!

I do it at the start of every winter and keep an eye on the system pressure too.

The key thing to remember is to always check, and if necessary top up, your boiler pressure after bleeding. Mine needs to be at around 1.5 bar, I think that would apply to most modern boilers.

I love bleeding my radiators - it’s a job I won’t let DH do! Like others, there’s always one or two radiators where all the air collects.

No idea how to check or top up my boiler pressure though, @CSJobseeker can you enlighten me?

We do it at the start of each winter

The ‘last’ radiator in our house needs bleeding every month when the heating’s on. But it’s in the hall, so dead easy to do.

My dad did it regularly, so always knew it needed doing. If your radiator is cool/cold at the top but hot at the bottom then it’ll need doing. Some of the newer radiators need a screwdriver rather than a special key. It’s just a matter of letting the air out - a slight turn anti clockwise, listen for the air, then quickly turn it back when the noise changes. If you haven’t ever done it you may find it’s a bit stiff. I just use an old cloth to hold the key to catch any water and to pad the key out a bit as the key can dig into your fingers a bit.

@CSJobseeker

The key thing to remember is to always check, and if necessary top up, your boiler pressure after bleeding. Mine needs to be at around 1.5 bar, I think that would apply to most modern boilers.

Ah, thanks, now another thing I need to Google... We've now attempted to balance the system, but our radiators did not heat up in the order we expected (or any comprehensible pattern!) so it's been a bit of guesswork. Cannot work out which one is first on the system as two at opposite ends of the house seemed to get hot at the same time.

Well I can't find a pressure gauge on the boiler, there doesn't appear to be a removable cover on this one (the old one had a bit that flipped open).

Not all boilers have one. Depends on the type of heating system

OK apparently ours is fed from a tank in the loft and doesn't have a pressure gauge at all. It's not a combo boiler.

Same as mine which is why I know they don't all have a pressure gauge.

Every late autumn, loads of air comes out and the radiators get toasty. Very satisfying, I agree

@SleepyMathematician

I love bleeding my radiators - it’s a job I won’t let DH do! Like others, there’s always one or two radiators where all the air collects.

No idea how to check or top up my boiler pressure though, @CSJobseeker can you enlighten me?

Ours has a gauge where it needs to be above (I think) 0.5- it's coloured red anyway so as long as the dial isn't in the red zone the pressure is fine and if it is in the red zone there's a switch thing underneath that you turn till the dial moves out of the Red zone. Dead easy it used to be on the boiler itself but is separate now we have a new boiler

@mynamesnotMa

Yes I do it but rarely does water come out just a p*issing sound.

This means your radiators needs bleeding for longer. You have to wait for the pissing sound to stop till water comes out I love bleeding radiators especially when there's air trapped although I have had some disasters where I've turned it to far and the middle but has fell out and waters gone everywhere and I've not been able to find the middle bit . My first ever house I had a radiator that constantly needed bleeding or the heating and hot water wouldn't work. Irritating but very satisfying as ur was very easy to fix !

Yes - when you bleed the rads, you aren't meant to be removing water, you're meant to be removing air!

If the pissing sound sort of fizzles out without getting to water - add more pressure to your boiler.

@SleepyMathematician

I love bleeding my radiators - it’s a job I won’t let DH do! Like others, there’s always one or two radiators where all the air collects.

No idea how to check or top up my boiler pressure though, @CSJobseeker can you enlighten me?

My boiler (Worcester Bosch) has a filling loop with a valve on it. You open the valve to let water into the boiler, while watching the pressure gauge. The pressure gauge should gradually increase - close the valve when you get to c. 1.5 bar.

Picture 1 is the filling loop (the cable thing) with the two valves that need to be opened to add water into the system. In my house this is right next to the boiler.

Picture 2 is the pressure gauge.

I don't have central heating but know this is a job that requires doing regularly.

Have a watch of the Jack Dee Radiator Man stand up routine.

@CSJobseeker

Picture 1 is the filling loop (the cable thing) with the two valves that need to be opened to add water into the system. In my house this is right next to the boiler.

Picture 2 is the pressure gauge.

This is really useful!