radiators warm at the top but cold on the bottom Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[tfella]

My radiators are cold at the bottom yet warm at the top. This problem is usually the opposite way round so do they just need bleeding?

[plumbbob]

No. This is caused by an insufficient flow of hot water to fill the whole radiator. Hot water rises as it enters the rads and sinks as it cools. Bleeding will make no difference.

[htg engineer]

No, if they needed bleeding then they would be cold at the top.

There's a problem with circulation or sludge. Try balancing the systrem to reduce the rate the water passes through the radiator, if there's no improvement then you need to remove the radiator and check the condition of the water.

htg

[chris_linney]

remove the radiator flush it through with a garden hose jigle it about to rinse the sludge out and refit champion nowts abother

[htg engineer]

chris_linney - yes that is the DIY solution. But sludge in a system is not a good thing.

Nowts abother - but be prepared to do the same to the rest of the radiators in the near future, be prepared for pump packing up, heat exchanger becoming blocked, and poor performance from you system.

Clearing the sludge from one radiator is a temporary fix, you need to drain the whole system, refill and add cleanser, drain, flush more than once, refill, add inhibitor.

I know it's a DIY forum but if a jobs worth doing - it's worth doing properly.


htg