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June 16, 2009
Bleeding Radiators?
I've heard that after each heating season you should "bleed the radiators." What exactly is this, how do you do it, and is this true ?
Comments
is your system hydronic? ..then it means releasing the air from the system, but that is more appropriate at the beginning of heating season, not now
Posted by: eman1234 at June 15, 2009 10:26 PM
what eman said, and depends on the system. Some newer systems bleed themselves automatically. If not you would look on the rads at the top of your house (since air is lighter than water, that's where they are typically installed) and look for some small valves. Some of them are like bicycle tire valves, you depress them and let the air out until water comes out, then you close them.
But also like eman said, you do this at the beginning of the season when the system is first pressurized, not at the end.
Posted by: denton at June 16, 2009 3:28 AM
Adding my 2 cents. Depending on the size of your hot water system (If I had a dollar for every tenant who demanded I bleed their steam radiators!) a regular hose bib might be installed at the top of the system where you can hook a washing machine hose and bleed the water/air into a bucket until it runs smoothly. No guarantee that you might not have to do it again during heating season. I guess it depends on age, size and check valves.
Posted by: modsquad at June 16, 2009 5:06 AM
suprise!
you can do it mid season also. What happens if it conks out? You might have too much air in the pipe and have to bleed it. Lets hope it doesn't happen.
After the heating season is over it goes into air.conditiong mode. If you are in a building with a central heat/air conditioning system
There is a certain amount of maintenance the building foes such as changing the filter in your apartment.
Posted by: Ysabelle at June 16, 2009 10:34 AM
Before I turn the heat on for the winter, I have my plumber come and check the boiler and then turn the heat on really high and bleed the air out of each radiator until a steady stream of water comes out. Normally, I do this twice as the system will sometime settle... You can get the appropriate radiator key at any hardware store.
Posted by: SJ at June 16, 2009 11:01 AM
One of my chores as a teenager.
Posted by: altervoce at June 16, 2009 1:08 PM
Ysabelle sweetie, you can certainly do it mid-season. But you can't do it 'after the season' as the OP suggests. The system needs to be on and pressurized.
Dang, I didn't know my hydronic heating system could also provide AC! I sure wasted a lot of money of central air.
Posted by: denton at June 16, 2009 1:47 PM
Bleeding a radiator refers the the Victorian custom of sacrificing a chicken to appease a house's ghost. Otherwise, the house's ghosts will be express their displeasure through creaking, noisy radiators.
Posted by: slick at June 16, 2009 10:39 PM
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