Page 1 of 1

Bleeding rads

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:07 pm
by Doombrain
I live in an old cottage with a plumbing and heating system to match. I noticed that the radiator in one of the bedrooms was cool at the top so I decided to bleed it. There was a lot of hissing and I thought air was coming out and then I suddenly realised that the radiator was getting colder rather than hotter. It seems that air was being taken in rather than expelled and now I have a rad with just a hot strip along the bottom and air gurgling around the system. Can anyone please help me and tell me how to cure this problem.

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:27 am
by swidders
More details about the system would be useful. However, guessing that you have a feed and expansion tank in the loft somewhere, check to see if this has water in it.

Bleeding rads

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:06 pm
by Doombrain
Sorry I couldn't give more details about the system as all the plumbing and heating in this cottage is a mystery to me - and a few plumbers as well!

I made my poor partially sighted hubby get up in the loft and he thinks he may possibly (hopefully) have solved the problem. If not I shall have to trade him in for a heating engineer.

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:20 pm
by htg engineer
You had the central heating on at the time ????

You need to bleed/vent radiators with the heating off - otherwise the pump sucks air into the system.


htg

Bleeding rads

Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:34 pm
by Doombrain
Yes I had the heating on at the time and I now know that was the wrong thing to do but I won't do it again.

Thankfully it seems that the valve allowing the heating to top up had been turned off at some time and the valve had jammed in the closed position. However a little gentle persuasion finally sorted it out and I have now bled the rads (with the heating off!) and everything is fine again now thank you.