Bleed the radiators: Better performance and economic savings

Jan. 30, 2023

In this article we explain why it is important and everything you need to know to bleed a radiator.

First of all, we must know the reason why it is done. This action helps improve the performance of the boiler and helps us save on our gas bill. Bleeding a radiator consists of removing excess air from the radiator circuit. We must do it before the cold season begins, between the months of September and October.

Bleed the radiators: Better performance and economic savings

How to know if you have to bleed the radiators

To find out if it is necessary to carry out this purging, we turn on the heating and if after a few minutes we hear strange noises in the system, such as gurgling, it means that there are air pockets that must be expelled. Also if when you touch the radiator, the top is colder than the inside, since the air tends to rise, that radiator needs to be bled.

What do we need to purge radiators?

It is a simple process, which we can easily do with tools we have at home.

We will need:

Small container to collect the water from the radiator.< /li>
Flat head screwdriver or you can use a coin if there is not enough space to insert a screwdriver.

Steps to follow to bleed radiators

1. It is important to follow the following operations starting from the radiator that is closest to the boiler, following the natural flow of the water.

2. The radiators must be purged with the heating turned off, we must purge the radiators when cold so that the boiler pump does not move the water. As there is no movement of water, it is normal for the air to be stored in the upper part of the radiator, which will facilitate the bleeding process.

2. Place the container under the petcock and slowly turn the screw with a screwdriver or coin.

3. Water will begin to come out unevenly, because it will be mixed with the air that we want to expel. When we see that the water is constant, we must close the drain valve.

4. Repeat the process on all the other radiators in the house.

5. When the process is carried out in all the radiators, we must check the heating water pressure in the boiler, it is normal that it has decreased during the process. The optimal pressure is between 1 and 1.5 bars in most systems.

Once we have bled the radiators, they will be ready to work without problem during the following months.