Bleeding radiators from time to time is one of those maintenance tasks that as a tenant you are expected to do. However, if you are not confident that you can do this properly or safely and do not know anyone who can do this for you, call us to report the problem. Please bear in mind that the landlord may ask you to pay the contractor call-out fee.

If bleeding becomes necessary quite often, say at least every week or two, then report this anyway as there may be a leak that needs fixing. Don't worry, this would be a repair that the landlord would pay for.

How to bleed a radiator

Does your radiator feel cold at the top and warm at the bottom? If so, it's likely that the problem is being caused by air that has been trapped in your radiator. Luckily, you should be able to fix the problem yourself by bleeding your radiator.

Bleeding a radiator is a fairly simple, safe and quick process. Basically it just means opening a small valve on your radiator to allow any trapped air to escape. Just follow our simple instructions below for a quick fix:

1. Turn off central heating

Before you bleed your radiator, it's very important that you turn off your central heating at the main controls. This will prevent more air from entering the system.

2. Find the bleed valve

Find the bleed valve; this is usually located on one side of the radiator.

3. Protect the area

Place a cloth or a small bowl underneath the bleed valve to catch any leaking water. Also, wrap your hand in a cloth to shield your hand as any water that escapes from the radiator may be very hot.

4. Find the bleed key

If you can't find the bleed key you will be able to buy one at your local DIY store.

5. Bleed the radiator

First you'll need to locate the bleed valve. This will be a protrusion at the top of one side of your radiator. To bleed your radiator, insert the bleed key into this valve and carefully turn it anticlockwise (usually a quarter or half turn will do the trick, DO NOT keep turning). The air trapped in your radiator will start escaping with a hissing sound. When water begins to dribble out out the valve you will know that all the air has been purged from the radiator. (NOTE: if you have a combination boiler, you may also need to repressurise the boiler).

6. Re-tighten the bleed valve

Once water dribbles out of the valve you should tighten the valve back to it's original position. Use the cloth to clean up any spills (be careful, though, as the water can be scalding hot).

7. Turn the heating back on

Don't forget to switch the central heating back on once you've finished bleeding the radiator. Check on your radiator after a couple of hours to ensure that the radiator has a uniform temperature all over it's surface area and that there's no more water leaking from the bleed valve. Problem solved!

Remember, if you're ever in doubt of your DIY abilities it's best to call in an engineer to fix the problem for you.

If this doesn't work and you're confident you need to call us out, please call us to report a repair.

TIP!

You will find many informative videos on YouTube. Try typing "How to bleed a radiator" in the search field.