Summer Radiator Maintenance Tips and Tricks for the Home
Radiator maintenance when it is so hot and sticky outside, are we totally crazy? It may seem like the wrong time of year to make sure your radiators are working correctly around the home. In fact you may think there are far better things to be doing than running around the house making sure your radiators are in tip top condition when it is 25-30 degrees outside.
Yet the summer season is actually the best time for radiator maintenance work. Not only that the cooler autumnal months will arrive soon enough. At which point you will be glad you took the time to look after the household radiators.
Summer Radiator Maintenance Tips and Tricks for the Home
Take a moment to read up on these essential summer housekeeping tips for keeping the central heating and designer radiators in good working order. Then you won’t get an unfortunate surprise in the Autumn when the weather outside takes a turn for the worse.
Why Maintain Radiators and Why Now?
Throughout the summer months your radiators tend to be used less and less because it is warmer. Instead of sitting around rejoicing at the lull in energy heating bills, take the time to check each of your radiators for leaks, bad circulation and paint chips.
If you maintain your radiators there will be less chance that they fail or break during the winter months when you need them most. With some forward planning your radiators could be in tip top condition.
How to Maintain Your Radiators?
First of all, turn on your heating for a good hour. Give it time to warm up and then go round and check each radiator. Notice if some are colder than others, if there are any leaks, lack of pressure or cold spots and then you will be ready to do the maintenance work.
Bleeding the Radiators Around the Home
Once you have turned the heating off and waited for the radiators to cool down so you don’t burn your hands, you will need a radiator key. These can be purchased at any local hardware store but if you cannot find one you can use a flat bladed screwdriver.
Attach the radiator key to the top valve of the radiator turn it anti clockwise. If you hear gas leaving the valve you need to leave it until liquid starts to come out. Once the liquid (water) starts to leak from the valve then you should shut the valve. Be careful you do not get it all over the floor.
Performing a Pressure Check
If you have noticed that the pressure gauge on your boiler is too low then you will need to fill it up using the tap or lever on your boiler. Once this is down you should turn your heating back on and see if there are any cool spots. If there are then you should contact your plumber and get him to have a look.
Painting and Decorating
The paint on your radiator may not ever have crossed your mind as being quite a genius idea. In fact it is one of the contributing factors to radiators creating so much heat.
Without the paint, your radiators would be losing the heat so quickly that it could not permeate and warm the rest of the room. Instead it would escape at a low temperature, making your temperature pretty useless. There are many useful guide sites that offer great tips on decorating your household radiators.
If you see any paint chips on your radiator make sure you go over them with paint and ensure that they are covered up. Your nearest home or DIY store should stock special radiator paint which is ideal for keeping the radiator looking in tip top pristine condition.
Checking the Radiator Valves
If your valves are broken on your radiator then you will notice a hissing sound or water leaking from your radiator or even both. Your best option is to replace the valves and then you should see a great improvement to both the pressure in your radiator and no more leaks.
Final Thought
Like we said at the beginning of this feature radiator conditions, holes in the roof, cracked glass and so forth are not always the things that a homeowner seeks to check on when they are enjoying the hot weather in the garden outside. Yet a little bit of time spent on radiator maintenance is time well spent.
For more advice and some new valves for your radiator then visit AEL Heating and find everything you need and more. Simply taking a little time out during the summer months to check the heating and other parts of the home that need to work in the winter is a good time investment.
This way you will keep the household running so much smoother when the cold weather finally arrives and winter beckons once again.
