Radiators

AccyLass

AccyLass

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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
 
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.
 
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
 
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AccyLass27 said:
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
Click to expand...

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
 
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AccyLass27 said:
If anyone knows anything I'd be real grateful!:D
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

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.
 
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!
 
derekgas said:
The radiators are better bled when cold and the heating off
Click to expand...
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.
 
derekgas said:
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!
Click to expand...

That's the way I have always done it, like you say air rises.
 
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
 
Morecambe Ex Pat said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
AccyLass27 said:
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
Click to expand...

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

Thanks for all your help:)
 

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Neil said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yes Neil, water bye laws state that the link should be removed after filling, but in practice most people leave them connected.
 
AccyLass27 said:
Thought it might be easier if I show the set up
I don't see a gauge:(

Thanks for all your help:)
Click to expand...

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.
 
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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!
 
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