As the cold weather draws in, having radiators that don’t heat up well can become a big problem.
The last thing you want is a cold home in the middle of winter, so when your radiators won’t heat up, what should you do?
Thankfully, there are a few simple steps you can take to get to the root of the problem and get your radiators heating your home as soon as possible.
Most of the time, issues with your radiator are caused by a simple problem that’s easily resolved.
According to experts at DIY Plumbing, there are plenty of ways to make radiators “hotter and heat up faster” – and you don’t even need specialist tools.
Balance them
If households find that one room is always colder and its radiator takes a long time to heat up, it may be a good idea to balance the radiators.
The experts claimed: “Balancing your radiators ensures that they heat up evenly, regardless of how close they are to the boiler.”
With balanced radiators, households will have optimum temperatures and be able to enjoy every room in their home without having to keep fiddling with the thermostat.
Clean and clear them
The plumbing pros noted that the “fastest and cheapest way” to make sure radiators are heating the room properly is to remove any objects on them or underneath them.
They explained: “That’s because radiators work on the principle that hot air rises by natural convection. Cold air is drawn up the radiator at the bottom and rises out warm at the top.”
Any objects placed on or under the radiator will almost certainly interfere with this process, so be sure to keep your radiators clutter-free.
According to experts at Heat Advisor, cleaning them will only take around 10 minutes.
Dust them
Similarly to clearing them, radiators need to be dusted so that air is able to pass through them easily. Big bits of dust and lint can obstruct the middle of the radiator and reduce its efficiency.
Bleed them
For those finding that their radiator is cold at the top but hot at the bottom, it’s due to “air trapped inside”. The air basically occupies the space where hot water should be.
The experts said: “You can quickly increase the radiator’s performance by bleeding this air out.”
Remove sludge
Some households can even find that their radiator is hot at the top but cold at the bottom. If this is the case, it most likely has sludge built up inside.
Radiator sludge is a combination of rust, dirt and scale that inevitably builds up over time and circulates through the system.
Sludge is also the biggest cause of boiler breakdowns and can rapidly age your system so it needs to be dealt with immediately.
