Central Heating Radiators – What’s Wrong and How Do You Fix it?

The operation of central heating radiators is fairly simple, which in turn makes them reliable. However, even reliable systems can experience problems. If you find your central heating radiator acting up, here is a list of common problems, their associated symptoms, and how to fix them.

Air Trapped in Radiator
If one radiator in your home is not heating properly, while the others are scolding hot, the problem is probably air trapped in the radiator. The air will not allow the warm water to fill the radiator, thus it doesn’t heat properly. The problem can easily be fixed by loosening the bleed valve at the top of the radiator, allowing the air to fizzle out. You will easily be able to hear the sound when the air is leaving the radiator. When water starts squirting out, it’s time to tighten the valve again.

Loose or Corroded Cap Nuts
If you find out that water is leaking onto the floor near your radiator, it’s likely caused by the cap nuts, meant to be fastening the inlet valves, being corroded or loose. In the latter case, tighten them, after you have turned off the system. If they are corroded, your only option is to replace them.

Wrong Angle on the Water Return Lines
If your radiators are keeping you up at night due to constant banging sounds, as if someone was using them as percussion, the problem could be an unlucky angle on the water return lines. The steam from the radiators can have trouble returning to the boiler, if the radiator is not angled, slightly, towards the inlet pipe. To fix the problem, all you need to do is place a piece of wood underneath the far end of the radiator, thus tilting it a bit.

Always remember that if you experience a problem with your central heating radiators that seem beyond the scope of do-it-yourself home repair, always contact a professional.

Central heating radiators are used to distribute heat in a central heating system. Central heating is the most popular form of heating in the UK and is used in the United States and other locations as well depending on the climate. If central heating is the most suitable choice for your locale, then it is useful to know what makes central heating radiators efficient in general, how to improve on their efficiency even more and how to balance radiators in a central heating system for maximum efficiency of your system.

What makes central heating radiators efficient?

Central heating radiators are more efficient than other radiator types because their heat output is much greater.  Greater heat output from the same device means that you get more bang for your buck. Since heating is required on a regular basis in the winter months, the fact that a traditional radiator such as a central heating radiator produces more heat for the same price as other types of radiators will save you a lot of money.

How to further increase the efficiency of central heating radiators

Although this sounds counter intuitive, one way of further increasing the efficiency of your central heating system and save money is to actually add the amount of central heating radiators that you have in your home. The reasoning behind this is that most home boilers have a heating capacity that supersedes the needs of the home. When you only have a few radiators in the home, water gets channeled to those radiators and is swiftly returned to the boiler which tries to re-heat it before returning it again to the same few radiators. This means the boiler is reheating hot water which is very wasteful. If the number of radiators in your system equals the power capacity of the boiler than when water completes the entire cycle it will have sufficently cooled down and the boiler will be heating up cold water and not wasting energy on trying to heat hot water.

Balancing Central Heating Radiators

Not only do you need to have enough radiators in your central heating system to make it run efficiently, the distribution of water through the system needs to be even as well. What this means is that you want to make sure that the hot water is evenly distributed to all the radiators in your home. Since radiators produce heat as a result of hot water pumped through a system of pipes, radiators that are closest in the system to the boiler tend to get a disproprotionate amount of the system’s hot water. Your first line of defense to balance this out is to use locksheild valves on the radiators. What these valves do is restrict water to some radiators while allowing more hot water to reach other radiators. The idea is similar to closing the vents in some rooms on a central air conditioning system forcing the cold air into other rooms that need it more. You will need to play with the valves to achieve an even distribtuion of water and a proper balancing of the system. Pipe thermostats will further help achieve this goal.

Evaluating your central heating systems for the right type of radiators, the right number of radiators and the right balance of those central heating radiators will result in the most efficient use of your central heating systems and substantial savings of energy bills.

Many people are aware that central heating radiator systems can save them money but they do not understand the variables making central heating radiators more efficient then other radiator types. What follows are some frequently asked questions and answers about how central heating radiator systems can save you the most amount of money possible.

How do my central heating radiators save me money?

Central heating radiators save money because they simply produce more heat than other radiator types using the same amount of energy. If you buy a concentrated floor cleaner that is the same price as your regular cleaner but will last longer than your brand, you save by getting more for your money. This is the same principal by which central heating radiators save you money.

Can I do anything to further increase my savings?

Even a good system can be improved upon and made better. To further save on energy bills, you may need to add more radiators to the central heating system in your home. This may seem illogical but there is a reasonable explanation. Many domestic boilers are overly efficient for the central heating system they control. This means they are too strong for the amount of radiators in the central heating system and constantly waste energy by trying to reheat already hot water. If your home has the right amount of radiators to match the energy output of your boiler then the boiler water will cycle through the whole system and the water that is returned back to the boiler should be cold. Your boiler will then be heating water with less frequency and the water will be cold and not hot, cutting back on your boiler’s previous wasteful expenditure of energy.

I’ve heard that balancing my central radiator system can help. What does that mean?

Balancing your central radiator system is the process by which you regulate the distribution of hot water evenly to all radiators in the system. Balancing is necessary since the pipe system connecting your boiler to all your radiators creates a system where the radiators closest to the boiler gets more hot water than other radiators. Balancing the system using locksheid valves and thermostats on the pipes are ways to balance the radiators and increase the central heating system’s efficiency so that you will save money in the process.

Heating systems today come in many varieties. There are an assortment of wonderful modern radiators in all sorts of shapes and finishes which add a feature to a contemporary room. There are also some old fashioned central heating radiators which look wonderful in a room with a touch of history and tradition.

The truth is that most radiators are plain metal and pretty boring which means that we are tempted to cover them with a bespoke radiator cover to hide their ugliness. Of course, that reduces their efficiency which is not ideal when you want to get the maximum warmth possible into your room.

But that is not the only problem with standard radiators. They take up a lot of wall space too which is better used for furniture. To combat this problem, here are three heating systems to consider, if you want or need an alternative to radiators.

1. Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating is something that is best planned at the building stage or when you are doing major remodeling work as it involves running hot water pipes or electrical elements below your floor. It does not work well with all floors but it is the best method of heating a room with natural stone flooring such as marble tiles.

2. Warm Air Systems

Warm air systems send warm air through small vents in the wall or floor. Although they are not entirely invisible, they are much less evident in your room than radiators. They do affect the positioning of furniture however as you must not block the vents. Some find that these systems produce very dry air which affects their eyes. This can be helped by adding moisture to the air with a humidifier. Even plants can help reduce this problem, if you keep them well watered

3. Low Panel Heaters

These heaters are well disguised as they fit along the base of the wall and they may be fed by your electric system or by a hot water based system. Low panel systems may not be covered by furniture but that is not a problem if your furniture does not reach the floor. If you like the idea of low panel heaters you will also like some of the new systems being developed. These days there are also invisible heating systems which have hot pipes running inside the skirting board.

When it comes to central heating pumps there are a few basic things you should know. If you already own a central heating pump you should know how it works so that you know how to tell if something goes wrong. If you have determined that you need a new pump there are a couple of important features you should look for. Having this knowledge will help you avoid the situation of having insufficient heat via your central heating system for any length of time.

Central heating pumps work by circulating water from the boiler to the central heating radiators and then pumping it back to the boiler to be reheated again. This system is popular for both domestic and commercial consumers. Pumps come in different strengths for different size central heating boilers. In addition, pumps come in different motor speeds which can improve the affect of hydraulic noise. A three speed central heating pump will be quieter. Now that you have an idea of how your system works, you can become familiar with how to check if your system is operating properly. If you are not receiving sufficient heat through your radiators it may be the result of a faulty central heating pump. The way to check this is to check the radiators in the upstairs of your house versus the ones downstairs. If the radiators upstairs are warm but the radiators downstairs are cool, you can be fairly certain there is a problem with your heating pump. It is a good idea to call in a professional to check the cause of the problems or learn how to do so yourself. If a pipe is clogged it is possible to clear it. If all else fails, you may need to buy a new pump. If you do decide you need a new central heating pump then there are a couple of things to look for. Try to find a unit whose energy usage is low. This will save you a lot of money in energy bills and you will not sacrifice on the efficiency of your heating system. A good warranty is important as well. Well known companies usually stand behind their product and provide at least a two year warranty.

That should be enough background to understand how your boiler works, how to determine if it is malfunctioning and what to look for when buying a new central heating pump. So the next time your radiator feels cool, you will know how to check if the heating pump is the problem and what to look for if you need to replace it.