Climate Talk

PSA: bleed your radiators before winter (a guide for the scared)

Every October my partner looks at me like I'm defusing a bomb, so here's the low-drama version.

If the top of your radiator is cold and the bottom is warm, there's air trapped in it. Air is a terrible heat conductor and you're paying to heat a sad metal box.

1. Turn the heating off and let the radiators cool.
2. Get a radiator key (hardware store, costs nothing, you will lose it by next year).
3. Hold a cloth under the valve at the top corner and turn the key a quarter turn. Hissing = good. Water spitting = close it.
4. Check your boiler pressure afterwards if you have a combi. Top up if it dropped.

Takes 15 minutes, warms the room faster, and the system runs more efficiently. Your heat pump or boiler will thank you. Your cat will be deeply suspicious of the hissing.