A heating expert has some advice that can save you a fortune with just one simple trick
Energy prices are set to rise surprisingly sharply from April, meaning many households will be looking for ways to cut back on spending.
The gas bill for a typical household will rise from £1,277 a year in early April to £1,971 a year, an increase of almost £700, with a possible increase of another £1,000 in October.
According to the Daily Record, many people will be desperately looking to reduce their energy use to keep their bills as low as possible.
Heating expert Myles Robinson from Boiler Central reveals how to release trapped air from your radiator.
Myers explained that radiators with trapped air don’t properly circulate heat, meaning you’re paying full price for heating and not getting the proper amount of heat in return.
“Blowing the radiator” is a fairly simple task that you can perform on your own – if you do all the steps safely and correctly.
Radiator Exhaust Key – If you don’t have one on hand, you can buy it at any DIY store.If you have a modern radiator (made in the past 30 years), a flat head screwdriver will do the job too.If your radiator was manufactured more than 30 years ago, it probably has a bleed valve that requires a different type of bleed key, called a “clock key.”You usually need a clock key between sizes 8 and 12 to open this valve.
A rag to catch the water – as soon as you get the air out of the radiator it will start dripping, so have a rag ready to catch the water.
Old towels and dust cloths – A bleeding radiator will inevitably cause some water to spill, so it’s a good idea to lay down a towel or dust cloth to protect your floors from damage, especially if your carpet is light colored.If you have older radiators, the water in them may react with rust and dirt and discolor over time.
Before starting the phlebotomy process, make sure your radiator is part of a hot water heating system, not a steam system.
First, you need to find out which radiators in your home need bleed, as it’s important not to perform the procedure on radiators that you don’t need.
If you try to deflate a radiator without any trapped air, water will escape from the radiator as soon as you open the bleed valve – this will quickly reduce the water pressure to the boiler and the whole system may fail.
After turning on your central heating, walk around your home and check for any radiators that are not heating properly.
Keep in mind that if the radiators have cold spots or are warm on the bottom but cold on the top, they may have an air blockage.
It is best to wear light gloves when checking the radiator to avoid burning yourself on a hot radiator.
Don’t forget to check for rattles and rattles from the radiators, as these are also signs that they need to bleed.
During this inspection, carefully document which radiators need to be vented.A good tip is to put a sticky note or sticker on the failing radiator so you can figure out where to start.
Once you’ve identified which radiators need bleed, make sure to turn off the central heating.
When all of your radiators are completely cold to the touch, you can start bleeding the radiators.
When venting the radiator, no matter how quickly the vent valve is closed after venting, water overflow cannot be avoided.
You need to let at least some water drip out of the radiator so you can tell when the trapped air has completely escaped.Therefore, we recommend laying down towels and dust sheets to protect the floor around your radiator and avoid water damage to your floor or carpet.
Take your radiator key (or a flathead screwdriver if you don’t have one handy) and attach the end of the key to the square slit in the center of the valve.
When you insert the key into the groove, you will feel them click together.Keep in mind that if you have an older radiator, the exhaust valve may look different and you will need a clock radiator key to open it.
Turn the key counterclockwise (use a rag to help grasp the key if the bleed valve is particularly tight).You should hear a hissing sound, which is trapped air at the top of the radiator starting to escape.
The release of air from the radiator means that the water in the system now has room to rise.This will happen soon after you get the air out, so have a rag ready to catch the droplets.
Do not turn the valve more than half a turn when opening it, and be prepared to close it quickly.Modern radiators can release water in the form of jets, and you want to avoid spills and low water pressure as much as possible.
After you’ve finished bleeding your radiator, you can repeat the process for all other radiators in your home that need to be bleed.
You should start with the radiator furthest from the boiler.If your house has two floors, start with the farthest radiator on the first floor and work your way up to the top of the house, ending with the radiator closest to the boiler.
Radiator venting always causes some moisture loss, which can cause a drop in pressure in the heating system.
Make sure to check your boiler pressure as soon as you finish venting your radiator, because if your boiler pressure falls below a safe level, your heating system will become inefficient and use a lot of energy to heat your home, increasing your heating costs.
To check the pressure of the boiler, look for the water pressure gauge, usually located on the front of the boiler.If you have a hydraulic gauge (a gauge that shows pressure using a dial), if the water pressure is insufficient, the indicator needle will go below 1.
If you have a digital meter, you should see a flashing reading if the water pressure is too high or too low.
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