How To Save Money On Your Plumbing Bills
In tough financial times it is important to try to save money on unnecessary home improvement bills for jobs which with a little bit of ‘insider’ knowledge you can do yourself to a very satisfactory standard. Minor jobs like bleeding radiators can save you substantial amounts of money on unncessary plumbing bills.
Bleeding A Radiator
Occasionally, you will notice a radiator heating unevenly. Specifically, the bottom of the radiator is warm while the top is cool. Before you call a heating engineer or plumber, try the simple and inexpensive remedy of bleeding the radiator to see if this will fix the problem. A radiator needs bleeding when air has infiltrated the system and is blocking the warm water from reaching the top of the radiator. In addition to the uneven heating of a warm bottom and cool top, a radiator may feel as if it is not working at all. If the radiator feels cool both on the bottom and top, there may be so much air that the water is not circulating at all. Air is introduced to the heating system when water is added as well as the action of the impeller pump. While bleeding may not fix all plumbing problems, it is the first remedy a heating engineer or plumber will attempt and if it is the problem, it will save you time and money on unncecessary plumbing bills.
Tools Needed To Bleed A Radiator
The only tools necessary to bleed a radiator are a bleed key and a rag or towel. The first step is to turn off the heat pump at the central source and open both valves at the bottom of the radiator. If the main heat pump is not turned off, it can draw more air into the system. Then, locate the bleed screw at the top of the radiator. Usually, the bleed screw is located at the ends of the radiator and occasionally on the back. Using the bleed key, turn the bleed screw anti clockwise; while bleeding, you will hear a hissing noise. Be prepared to tighten the bleed screw as soon as water starts dripping out of the bleed screw at the top of the radiator. Tighten the bleed screw by turning clockwise; do not over tighten the bleed screw. Occasionally the bleed screw has been damaged and the bleed key no longer works on the screw. In that case, carefully use a spanner to bleed the radiator.
Repeat the bleeding process on all radiators. Once the radiators are bled, if the heating system is a closed system, you will need to adjust the pressure by topping off the boiler. Once the system is turned on again, check each radiator for even heating, if the heat from the radiators is still uneven or insufficient, contact a heating engineer or plumber.
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