How To Bleed A Radiator

Bleeding a radiator is fairly straight forward and a quick process. Bleeding of radiators involves opening a small valve to allow any trapped air to escape.

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.

Find the bleed valve

This usually has a small red handle and is located on one side of the radiator.

Protect the area

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

Find the bleed key

Your radiators should have come with a small bleed key. If you can't find the bleed key you should be able to buy a replacement at a DIY store.

Bleed the radiator

To bleed your radiator, insert the bleed key into this valve and carefully turn it anticlockwise. The air trapped in your radiator will start escaping with a hissing sound. When water begins to leak out the valve you will know that all the air has been released from the radiator.

Re-tighten the bleed valve

Once water leaks out of the valve you should tighten the valve back to its original position. Use the cloth or towel to clean up any spills.

Turn the heating back on

Turn back on your central heating and check on your radiator after a few hours to make sure that the radiator has a consistent temperature over the surface. Also check that there's no more water leaking from the bleed valve.