Radiators
 

I think I need to bleed the radiators!

We haven't long moved in here and had to have a new radiator fitted, got that done but didn't use the heating much over "summer"

When I have come to put it on recently, I have noticed that the upstairs radiators aren't warming properly

So.... I presume they need bleeding.. am I right?

I can go and get a key... have looked on a forum on the net about which order to do them in, it just says from highest point and work down... so doesn't matter which room 1st then?

Also... the heating has to be off for this to be done right?

If anyone knows anything I'd be real grateful!:D
Thanks in advance

Re: Radiators
 

If you bleed them you may need to add water to the system. Don't bleed them and leave the water level too low. Different boilers fill in different ways, find out how to do yours before you start. Do a search on google for your boiler type.

DON'T RUSH THE JOB!!!
Turn heating on and get it up to heat.
Get an old towel to put over the bleed valves, be careful, the water is very hot.
Open the valves slowly and let the air escape slowly Bleed all the upstairs rads first, then the downstairs.

Re: Radiators
 

Yeah I was thinking about finding out about the boiler before I start doing it

Would need to find out where to put the water back into lol

Ps. Thanks

Re: Radiators
 

It may have some thing like this on it (this is what some daft beggar put on my daughters CH, the plastic has been replaced) if no there will be a filler valve under the back of the boiler, you may have to look with a torch and a mirror, make sure the dial on the front reads at least 1 bar when you've finished.

Who ever fit the new radiator should have tested it, and bled any rads before leaving, if the problem persists it sound like a bad joint some where, or the pressure tank on the boiler is acting up
Retlaw

Re: Radiators
 

Do you have a combi boiler or do you have a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard?

If you have a combi boiler you will need to keep topping up the water level in the system. If you have a hot water cylinder you have a conventional system that will top itself up.

Not sure why people are saying do it with the system hot? I can not see a reason why you can't bleed them without the system fully hot. Cold air will come out of the bleed valve.

Re: Radiators
 

The radiators are better bled when cold, and with the heating switched off, you bleed radiators from the lowest points first, not the highest, you only vent radiators from upstairs first when you are draining the system, whenyou are filling the system, you do downstairs first, which is logical seeing as the air rises in the system!

Re: Radiators
 

Thanks for putting me right on that one - you learn something new every day.
I would have thought that the heating needed to be on to ensure the system had enough pressure to force the air out.
I was folowing the advice given by the plumber who installed ours. I asked him to show me how to bleed them for future reference. He did it with the heating on.

Re: Radiators
 

That's the way I have always done it, like you say air rises.

Re: Radiators
 

I have a Savio combi boiler


So, bleed them when cold, from downstairs up?

And need to top the boiler up?... Just need to find out where lol
Thanks everyone

Re: Radiators
 

Many can be bled with the heating on, especially with combi boilers (though savio dont rate as a boiler in my book, more a box of scrap), but some older systems will draw air IN to the system if the pump is running, this is usually down to poor design of the system.

Re: Radiators
 

There should be a silver coloured flexi pipe under the boiler with at least one tap on the end, (sometimes the pipe is disconnected so will have to be connected to the isolation valves, also silver with the said taps on them), open the taps, the gauge needle on the front of the boiler will rise, close the taps when the needle reaches 1.5 bar, repeat if you bleed the radiators more after filling.

Re: Radiators
 

Is it right Derek that the regs say the filling loop should be left disconnected when not in use?

To do with contamination your drinking water I presume if a check valve fails.

Re: Radiators
 

I have seen this silver looped wire on the bottom of the boiler
It is connected at both ends but with no tap to turn

Re: Radiators
 

Thought it might be easier if I show the set up
I don't see a gauge:(

Thanks for all your help:)

Re: Radiators
 

Yes Neil, water bye laws state that the link should be removed after filling, but in practice most people leave them connected.

Re: Radiators
 

The braided link will have a slotted screw in the centre of the valve attached to the cold water pipe (the smaller one at the top), turn the screw a quarter turn, you will hear water going in to the system, turn it of as said before at 1.5 bar, I have to say also, that, that is some of the worst plumbing pipework I have ever seen :rolleyes:
The gauge could be the thing on the left before the lights on the front, may just be coloured green to red, dont go into the red.

Re: Radiators
 

Do you think they used enough solder? :rolleyes:

Re: Radiators
 

Haha, maybe Neil, plenty of heat, as borne out by all the burn marks, nothing straight or level, no earth bonding, cheap filling link, these are designes so that you have to call the installers to top up the boiler, hence they can charge you each time, trying to get some pictures off my camera to show the difference between that and a decent job!
Well I got some photos onto the computer... Dont know how to get them on here though! Duh!

Re: Radiators
 

Re: Radiators
 

derekgas
Are you sure you are a plumber?
You don't seem to 'tut' or mention expensive much :)

Re: Radiators
 

Haha, yes I am, I didnt qualify for the 'sucking air in and rubbing the hands' certificate! :rolleyes: And it has cost me an awful (scary) amount of money over the years!

Re: Radiators
 

Not down to us! Tis just like the electric wiring in the kitchen, wired an under the cupboard light thro a socket on the wall..... with speaker wire!!!:rolleyes:

Can I do this with a screw driver?

Not too sure about this, there is the timer... 3 twisty things... summer and winter thing... "hot and cold thing" (not too sure what it is) for water and radiators. We had to get thermostats on all radiators as there is no thermo in the house
There are loads of lights on it, I'll have another look and see if I can see this gauge thing


Thanks again, the help is much appreciated:)

Re: Radiators
 

Yes a screwdriver will do the job, I guessed the plumbing wasnt your doing, due to the companies name being on the front of the boiler, haha.
Where all the lights are in a row on the front, looks like the circular shaped thing on the left may be the gauge required.

Re: Radiators
 

The red thing to the left your referring to Derek is a push button for somet..... not sure what

I can only see on the lights somet that says min, max and a green light in the middle which i presume is ok (1st 3 lights on bottom row)

One of the lights, last on the bottom row, comes on when heating on
Dunno what the rest are for

Re: Radiators
 

Derek I hope that cable is not staying in that notched out joist. Don't they have to be drilled through the joist at least 50mm from the top? Or have they changed the regs again? I am a bit out of touch with the regs with regard to house bashing these days.

Re: Radiators
 

If you mean my photo neil, the cable would be existing, I dont do cables, my sparky does, and he wasnt on that job, lol

Re: Radiators
 

Dont know where else the gauge may be then accylass, is usually on the fascia, or just under the front, they are put in other places occasionally, but would normally be visible from the filling loop!

Re: Radiators
 

Well there is a temp thing on the lights at the top
Have just been to turn it on and it was on the 1st light that said 40 or 4.0
It goes up I presume but ya can't see them cos they aint lit up
That would be for temp of the water wouldn't it?

Fella reckoned that the guy who put the new radiator in mentioned about the pressure gauge and said it was the 3 lights that said min and max at either side:confused:
So would that mean the pressure is fine? How would ya know when to stop "filling" it?:rolleyes:

Re: Radiators
 

Would have to have power on to fill it then and stop filling at the mid position light, if it is already over the minimum then yes, I would think it is fine, it will shut down if it isnt happy, lol

Re: Radiators
 

Thanks Derek ya a star:D

Thanks for all your help:)

And Neil too:)

Re: Radiators
 

No worries, it is what I do.

Re: Radiators
 

Not quite true!

What you do is a Plumber/Gasman..... not have to help people:)

Re: Radiators
 

Haha, okey, but I think I probably give as much free help as I do paid help, am a big softie! :p

Re: Radiators
 

Why did I not search this thread out before doing my radiators? Makes note to self read the instructions first then you might not make such an arse of the job:o

Re: Radiators
 

make sure the water is cold before you do them.... I did my bathroom one ( the heating was on ) and the nut thingy came off: boiling water, what a mess and I also burnt myself whilst trying to get the nut back on : Lesson Learnt:

Re: Radiators
 

Just what I did last week, I should have read this thread before starting:rolleyes: