WHY IS YOUR RADIATOR NOT HEATING UP?
If your boiler is working but one or more of your radiators are cold or they are not heating up evenly, then there are things you can check before you pick up the phone. If the radiator is cold at the top and hot at the bottom, making gurgling sounds or taking a long time to heat up then that is a sure sign that it needs bleeding.
HOW TO BLEED YOUR RADIATORS
Turn on the central heating and check all the radiators.
Switch heating off and let the cool completely.
Grab your supplies (what do you need to bleed a radiator?)
Locate the bleed valve.
Loosen the bleed screw.
Wait for the radiator to stop hissing.
Re-tighten the valve.
Turn on heating.
Check Your Radiator Valves
CHECK YOUR RADIATOR VALVES ARE OPEN
Make sure both the valve on the left and right of your radiator are open, and if you have a thermostatic valve (one that allows you to set the temperature and adjusts it automatically), make sure the radiator is turned to its “on” setting.
Thermostatic radiator valves can also seize up, causing your radiator to stop working. If you think this might be the case, get in touch with a professional heating engineer who’ll be able to properly diagnose the problem and replace the valve with a new one if necessary.
ALL THE RADIATORS ARE COLD?
If all your radiators are cold, you should also check to see if anything seems unusual about your central heating system itself: Is it making a funny noise? Do you also have no hot water? If that’s the case, you will need to call a Gas Safe registered engineer.
RADIATORS HOT AND THE TOP AND COLD AT THE BOTTOM?
A tell-tale sign that you may need powerflushing is having radiators that are warm at the top, but not the bottom, as sludge in the bottom of your radiators can stop this area from being heated properly. Powerflushing is a process of removing sludge and debris that can become stuck in your central heating system over time, causing it to not function properly.
As always, If you are in any doubt as to what’s causing your radiator problems, don’t attempt to fix the issue yourself. The best thing you can do is call a Gas Safe registered heating engineer as, whatever the issue may be, they’ll be able to properly diagnose and fix the problem.
