The cold months are approaching and that makes us turn on the heating for the first time in quite some time. It is very common that the pipes have accumulated air in the circuit. This will cause the radiators not to heat properly and, in addition, they will be consuming more energy. Therefore, by not being as efficient, you will have extra consumption on your bill. In this article we are going to show what purging radiators consists of and why you should do it before turning on the heating every winter.
Bleeding the radiators helps you save
After months of stopping the heating, the piping circuit has been able to store air and this will affect correct operation. Basically, the boiler will have to consume more resources to be able to heat the radiators and you may even notice that some of them do not even turn on or do so very little.
To avoid this, what we must do is simply bleed the radiators. Each of them has a valve, like a small key that you can activate simply by inserting a 5 cent coin or any flat screwdriver. Just turn it and you will see that it begins to release air. That is exactly what we want.
How long should that key be left open? I know something that won’t last more than a few seconds . Be careful because as soon as you release the air, it will also begin to release water. Put a container or something so as not to stain the floor or walls. Just when it starts to release water continuously, that’s when you should stop and turn off the faucet.
You can repeat this in each of the radiators you have at home. However, it is common that many of them do not release air and only some do. When you finish, check the pressure of the boiler since it has been able to drop.
How to properly bleed a radiator
Once you know what purging the radiators is for and how to do it, we are going to explain what you must take into account to do it correctly. The first thing is the moment. It is important that you do this before turning on the heating for the first time when winter comes. This way you guarantee that you have it ready from the start.
When you go to bleed the radiators, they have to be off and cold . Don’t bleed them with the heat on, as that’s a mistake. If you have forgotten and already turned on the heating, turn it off and wait for all the radiators to cool down completely and then bleed the radiators at that time.
When you have purged them all, you can turn on the heating and check that they all work correctly. Although it is a process that you must carry out before putting it on for the first time when the cold arrives, it is something that you can also carry out throughout the winter to ensure that you always have the radiators ready, without air, and thus be able to save energy.
Ultimately, this simple process is something you should do to your heater before turning it on for the first time. It will certainly help you avoid consuming more resources than necessary and heat your home.