How to maintain your radiators correctly 

Radiators are an integral part of any home or workplace, but are you maintaining them properly to ensure they’re operating properly and efficiently? Whatever time of the year it is, basic maintenance should be done on your radiators whether that’s in preparation for winter or to make sure it’s working properly during the colder months.  

There are many benefits to performing maintenance on your radiators with one of the main ones being energy efficiency. This is because radiators that heat up faster will mean you don’t need them on for as long, which will be great for your energy bills in this cost of living crisis.  

So, whether you’re not sure how to perform maintenance on your radiators or you just need a refresher, we can help. Read our radiator maintenance guide below to see what you should be doing to improve how your radiator operates. 

Inspect your pipes  

Your radiator will need a good set of pipes to ensure a reliable supply of water when they’re heating up. This makes the pipes one of the first things you could check and you should look out for any cracks in them, which may indicate a new set of pipes is needed. You should also look at the air eliminators too as this will affect the system pressure. You can pick up new air eliminators from suppliers like RS to help get your pressure back to the right levels.  

Bleed your system  

Bleeding a radiator releases all of the air that is caught in the system so that the radiator can operate more efficiently. To do this, insert your radiator key into the bleed valve and twist anti-clockwise until you hear a hissing sound, which will indicate the air leaving the radiator. Water can drip during this process, so we recommend laying a cloth or towel beneath the bleed valve to make sure you’re not making a mess. 

Check your boiler pressure 

Following a radiator bleed or if your radiators aren’t working properly, the boiler pressure may be a problem. You may then need to top up the water in your boiler or you may have to fork out for a brand new one instead.  It’s recommended by experts that you get your boiler services every year to make sure everything is in working order, although, you could book it in for a check sooner if something seems off with it.