Safe shopping by GeoTrustYou may wish to refer to the Glossary for explanations of certain terminology but we’ve tried to make it as straight forward as possible. Let’s begin…
Top section is cold
You will need:
- Radiator valve
- Cloth
- Bowl or rags to cover the floor underneath the radiator
If the top section of the radiator is cold this is probably due to air being trapped in the system and the radiator needs ‘bleeding’. In order for you to bleed you radiator:
1. Turn off the heat and make sure the radiator has cooled
2. Find the bleed valve (usually near the top on the side)
3. Place a cloth underneath the bleed valve to avoid water dripping onto the carpet
4. Carefully use a radiator key to release the valve
5. Listen for the hiss of escaping air
6. Tighten the valve as soon as water begins to flow, and clean up with the cloth to clean up. Be careful as the water can be very hot
7. Turn the heat back on and test the area
Bottom section is cold or all radiators are cold or luke-warm
You will need:
- Radiator valve
- Cloth
- Bowl or rags to cover the floor underneath the radiator
- Spanners or pliers,
- Wrench
This means rust and sludge are obstructing the bottom part of the radiator. To clean your radiator you will need to remove it:
1. Turn off the heat and make sure the radiator has cooled
2. Place the bowls or rags under the radiator valve to catch any water
3. Close the valves at each end of the radiator
4. Remove the plastic shield from the ‘lockshield valve' and close it with the spanner / pliers
5. On the side near the top of the radiator open the bleed valve to allow water to escape
6. If water keeps running then the other valves are not closed properly
7. Undo the nuts that hold the radiator to the valves on each end. Do this slowly to catch all the water.
8. Get someone to help lift the radiator off the brackets
9. Lean the radiator to one side and drain any remaining water into the bowls
10. Keep the radiator upright as you carry it outside (possibly even wrap it in rags to stop any drips through the house)
11. Get help standing the radiator on one end
12. Flush out the sludge with a hosepipe to clean it before bringing it back in
13. Check the brackets are secure
14. Place the radiator back on the wall and re-fix the nuts
15. Open the valves to allow the radiator to fill with water again
16. Open the bleed valve to allow air to escape and reset the lockshield valve
17. Repeat as necessary
18. Turn the heating on to test
Only upstairs radiators are cold
This may mean that the feed and expansion cistern in your loft has run dry, often caused by an obstructed or jammed ball valve. To fix the cistern:
1. Clear any obstruction or worn parts
2. Check there is just enough water to make the ball float when the system is cold, much more than this and there won't be enough room when it heats up
Only downstairs radiators are cold
It is likely that the pump is broken, call your local plumber or call 0844 800 6876
Radiators are cooler in one area of the house
When heat is irregular the system is unbalanced. To balance it, you need a pair of radiator thermometers and then:
1. Turn off the heat and allow the system to cool
2. Turn on the valves at each end of every radiator
3. Turn the heating back on and work out in what order the radiators heat up
4. With the first radiator place a thermometer on the pipes at each end of the radiator
5. Now turn off the ‘lockshield’ valve and gradually turn it back on until the difference between the two thermometers is minimal
6. Repeat on the second radiator and every radiator in turn
7. by this stage you should have a balanced system
Radiators are warm upstairs when the heating is off, and the hot water is on
If you have a gravity fed system, then the check valve is broken and hot water is leaking out of the hot water system into the heating system. Consider calling for a relevantly qualified plumber to assist you.
Other central heating symptoms
No heating or hot water>
These checks may help you to identify the problem:
1. Is your power supply working or has a fuse blown?
2. Has the gas been turned off or is their enough oil in the tank?
3. Are your thermostats and control switches turned on?
4. Is the pump working properly?
5. Is the pilot light lit?
6. Have you checked you boiler or central heating system manual for ideas?
If they don't work you'll need to call out a CORGI Registered Installer.
Sound of water gurgling
You will need:
- Radiator valve
- Cloth
- Bowl or rags to cover the floor underneath the radiator
The sound of water gurgling probably means there's air in the system and the radiator needs ‘bleeding'. To bleed your radiator:
1. Turn off the heat
2. Find the bleed valve, this is usually on one side near the top
3. Place a cloth underneath the bleed valve
4. Use a radiator key to gently release the valve and listen for the hiss of escaping air
5. Tighten the valve as soon as water begins to flow, and use the cloth to clean up - be careful as the water can be scalding hot
6. Switch the heat back on
Humming
Humming noises are usually caused by the pump that sends water round the system; follow these steps to solve the problem:
1. Lower the setting on the pump
2. Fit the pump on to brackets that absorb its vibrations
3. Check pipes are the right size, to do this you may need to get in CORGI Registered Installer
Knocks and creaking
As pipes expand and contract, they can rub against joists and walls causing strange noises. To prevent scary bumps in the night:
• Where is the noise coming from?
• Where are the pipes rubbing, where don't they have enough space?
• Widen the space around the pipe carefully with a saw or chisel but note that too much space might weaken the pipe
• You can also use fibreglass insulation to cover the pipes
Unsupported pipes can sometimes be the cause of unusual noises:
• Always secure pipes that have a lot of free movement with pipe clips
A noisy boiler can be caused by scale and sludge inside, restricted water flow, pockets of steam or even trapped air.
Bookmark us for when you need some useful guidance or tips.
In each case, please call out the professionals as we don’t want any nasty accidents. This advice is provided simply as a little extra help to professionally qualified plumbers and heating engineers.
Thank you
Last Updated: August 25, 2009
