Removing air from your radiators makes your heating system more efficient and wastes less energy.
What difference does it make?
Heating accounts for 60% of the energy used at home. Air bubbles in your radiator make the heating system work harder to reach the right temperature.
This activity lowers your carbon footprint by:
66 KG CO₂
What do you need?
- A boiler
- Radiator key
- Wash basin
- Old towel
Step by step
Go around the house and check the radiators. If they are on but have cold patches, it means there is probably an air block. Now you need to find the radiator key! See FAQs for help.
Once you find a radiator with cold patches, the air will need to be released. Turn your heating off and wait for the radiators to cool. Put a bucket or an old towel underneath the valve so you don’t leave a puddle of water on the floor. See FAQs for more information.
After you've released the air, you should wait 15 minutes or so and go back and check that the whole radiator is warm. If a lot of water came out, you should also check the pressure of your boiler. Upload a picture with your radiator key and radiator!
Need Help?
Some radiators need a key to open the valve. If you've lost it, you can also use an Allen key of the right size. If not, you should be able to purchase one from a hardware store or online.
Once the valve is open, air will come whistling out. As soon as the water appears it means that there's no air left. Your radiator is filled with water. You can then close the valve.
Yes! Just let Coach Vlad know.
If done correctly it is perfectly safe. The biggest risk is that you end up getting water on your carpet! Or if you release too much water then you'll need to go and check your boiler and re-pressurise it.