One of the causes of a radiator not heating properly is a situation in which it is clogged with air. How can you tell if a radiator is clogged with air and how can you properly bleed it?
Check the radiator air vents at the Onninen wholesaler
How do you know if your radiator is clogged with air?
An air-filled radiator has a number of characteristic symptoms, so there is no major difficulty in diagnosing the problem. The cause of an air-filled radiator is most often air particles that get into the heating system and radiators. This situation occurs in the case of a leak in the installation or as a result of irregularities when filling the heating system with water.
What happens when a radiator is filled with air? The most characteristic feature is that the radiator heats inefficiently, there are lukewarm or even cold radiators. It also often happens that the top of the radiator is very hot, while the bottom is cool or cold. The second characteristic feature is the sounds that an air-filled radiator makes. When everything works fine - you can hear a gentle murmur, while when the system is filled with air, the radiators characteristically gurgle.
Proper radiator bleeding
If you are sure that your radiator is clogged with air, you should deal with the problem as soon as possible so that the heating system can continue to operate effectively. To bleed a radiator, you need to know how to go about the task. You need to know that if your radiators are clogged with air, the negative effects not only affect the temperature in the room, but also accelerate corrosion of the radiators, leading to serious heating failures. Modern radiators can be bled quite easily, usually without any special skills or tools. You will need a screwdriver or a special key, which was provided with the radiator when you purchased it.
When starting to bleed the system, it is worth preparing a container in case water leaks from the system. Then, close the thermostatic valve and place the container directly under the bleed knob. The radiator bleed screw must be unscrewed slowly, this is very important, because too fast a pace could cause water to leak out with great force and an uncontrolled water leak. Unscrewing the screw should be stopped at the right moment, many people may be afraid of whether they will properly recognize when to stop? The most important thing is observation.
At the beginning of operation, mainly air and a small amount of water escape from the radiator. A signal that all the air has escaped from the radiator is the stabilization of the water flow. In such a situation, the manual air vent valve should be tightened. It is worth emphasizing that modern radiators made of aluminum or steel are much easier to bleed than a cast iron radiator, where it was necessary to have basic tools to loosen the screw connection and precision of operation so as not to damage individual elements.
Why doesn't the radiator heat even though it is bled?
Bleeding the radiators should bring the expected change and the radiator should return to uniform heat, and with it the heating should provide adequate heat throughout the house. However, it happens that despite the actions taken during bleeding, the radiator continues to heat unevenly or still does not heat at all, this means that the cause of the problem was not only the radiator with air. One of the causes of such a situation is too little water in the system, then it is usually enough to top up the water. However, it must be determined whether the problem was not caused by another failure, e.g. a fluid leak from the heating system.
Leaks and leaks after repair require the system to be bled again. These faults not only cause water leakage, but are also responsible for air entering the system. Another cause of the problem may be a fault in the thermostat located on the radiator, which is located directly on the pipe leading from the boiler to the radiator. The radiator can be bled, the boiler is working properly, and the thermostat is responsible for blocking the water flow and heating the radiator.
This situation occurs, for example, when the radiator has not been used for a long time, then the knob may get stuck and not work properly. Contrary to appearances, the fault can usually be repaired quite easily. A big problem is a situation in which the cause of the problem is incorrect initial setting in the hot water supply, so you should adjust the thermostatic head on the radiator and observe. If no improvement is visible, it is better to ask a specialist for help.
Vents at the Onninen wholesaler
The Onninen installation wholesaler offers various variants of professional products, such as manual and automatic air vent valves, dedicated to different variants of radiators.
- One example is the Onnline manual air vent , made of aluminum, with an external thread. The valve model has the appropriate certificates and approvals, so you can be sure that it will effectively protect the heating medium, which is the radiator. Various valve variants are available for sale, used in ½", 1", ⅜" and other connections. If you need non-standard valves, check our offer.
- An alternative solution is an automatic air vent for an aluminum radiator . When choosing this model, pay attention to the type of thread, as solutions with left and right threads are available for sale. This model does not have a shut-off valve.
- Another example is the vertical automatic air vents from PrimoVent , used at the highest point of the system of a given installation. Its advantage is the ability to remove air from the system during the operation of the installation. It also prevents water from dripping. Made of brass, making it a durable and strong model.