Whilst radiators are an effective and efficient way to heat your home, there are a few common issues that can arise. Please follow the guide below for dealing with these issues.

Your radiator isn’t heating up properly

Begin by checking that the thermostatic valves on your radiators are set correctly. If your home still feels cold with the central heating turned up, you should check your radiators. If they have cold spots, especially at the top, it’s likely you have air trapped in the system and it’s time to bleed your radiators. To do this:

• Take a radiator valve key or screwdriver and an old cloth.
• Turn off your central heating and allow the radiator to cool.
• Find the bleed valve and put the cloth directly below it to catch minor drips.
• Put the key into the valve and turn anti-clockwise until you hear a slight hiss of air. Once the hiss turns to a gurgle or water starts to escape, close the valve.
• Tighten up the valve by turning clockwise and turn your central heating back on.
• With a conventional boiler, the water cylinder may need to be re-pressurised.

If the radiator still has cold spots after bleeding, or you have to bleed radiators more than once a year, you might have a different issue. There might be a rust or sludge build-up, preventing the water from flowing properly. However, this is unlikely within the first two years. Contact a Gas Safe-registered engineer, who may need to power flush your system.

Leaks

If you notice any leaks around your radiator you should immediately close both valves on the radiator to isolate it; and open the bleed valve to release the pressure, which should slow down or even stop the leak. Please contact the Customer Care team if you are within your two-year warranty period.

Caring for your radiator

There are a few easy steps you can take to care for and maintain your radiators.

1. Do not place furniture too close to radiators. Not only can this damage your furnishings, but it’ll also stop the heat circulating properly.
2. Don’t dry clothes on your radiators, as it can cause condensation and rust.
3. Check your radiators once a month for cold spots, which could mean you need to bleed them.
4. Avoid placing wet towels on radiators.

Cleaning your radiators

Clean your radiators regularly of dust and debris, to allow heat to escape as normal. Before cleaning, turn your heating off and make sure the radiators are cold. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove as much dust as you can from in, around and under your radiator. Place a towel underneath whilst cleaning to protect the floor below. (Handy tip: A hairdryer is useful for blowing stubborn bits of dust and fluff out from awkward places). Wash down your radiators with warm soapy water, being careful to wipe them down with a dry cloth afterwards to avoid rusting.