Radiators not all heating up at the same speed? It may be time to add some balance to the situation. It's bleeding easy when you know how.
If your radiators are unbalanced then it’s likely that radiators in your home will heat up at different speeds.
This means that some areas of your home will take longer to get warm, which can be frustrating, especially in the depths of winter. If it’s your kids’ rooms, it builds character, but when your bedroom stays cold for too long, it’s time to take action.
In this guide, we’ll explain what you will need to rebalance your radiators and how to do it step by step (and in the quickest way possible).
What is Radiator & Central Heating Balancing?
As mentioned, rebalancing your radiators or simply balancing your radiators means adjusting your radiator valves, so that they all heat up at the same speed. It’s not the same as having one radiator in every hand and not tipping over.
For example, you will adjust the valves in the radiators that are too hot, allowing more hot water to flow to the radiators that are too cold or taking too long to heat up.
Radiator Balancing vs Radiator Bleeding
Bleeding your radiators is not the same as balancing them, however, it’s a common misconception that they both mean the same thing.
If your radiators have cold spots, typically at the top and make noises, then this is a sign that they have trapped air or leprechauns in them, in which case you will need to release it by bleeding your radiators.
You can read all about bleeding your radiators in our step-by-step guide. It’s relatively straightforward that you can do it yourself, however, some people prefer to leave it to the experts.
If your radiators have cold spots at the bottom, then this may be a sign of a build-up of sludge, rather than trapped air, in which case your central heating system may need to be flushed too. Because, you know, not flushing usually brews trouble.
Watch our video tutorial on how to bleed your radiators below:
Should You Balance or Bleed Your Radiators?
If your radiators have cold spots and are making noises when your heating is turned on, bleed them. like you’re a 15th-century surgeon fighting the plague.
If your radiators are heating up at different speeds, then you will need to balance them too.
If you are considering doing both, then it’s a wise idea to bleed them first, since you will then get a more accurate reading of their temperature.
What Tools Will You Need to Balance Your Radiators?
In order to balance your radiators, you will need a few tools, but don’t worry as they are relatively inexpensive and easy to source from your local hardware store.
They include the following (aside from the radiators):
Radiator bleeding key.
Lockshield valve adjuster or adjustable spanner.
Screwdriver or a ‘bleeding’ screwdriver if you can’t find it.
Digital thermometer or multimeter with a thermometer function.
Important note: Make sure you allow your radiators to cool down before bleeding or balancing them or otherwise use heat-proof safety gloves.
How to balance your radiators - step-by-step guide
Follow these simple steps to get your radiators balanced faster than a gymnast on a tightrope:
Step 1: Turn the heating off
The first step is to turn the heating off and allow it to cool before you begin. Feel free to do something else while you wait, or at least don’t blame us for your wasted time.
As mentioned, it's ideal to bleed your radiators first and if necessary power flush them too.
This will give you a much better gauge as to the actual temperature of your radiators and help rule out any other causes of poor flow rate between your radiators.
Watch our video tutorial on how to balance your radiators below:
Step 2: Open up all the radiator valves
The next step is to fully open up the thermostatic radiator valves, which you can easily do by turning them to the highest number on the dial. Just treat them like the volume button at a rave. This is usually in the anti-clockwise direction.
If your radiators do not have thermostatic radiator valves, simply make sure the lock shields are open. You can do this by removing the cover or cap. You can then use your adjustable spanner or lockshield valve key to turn the valve anti-clockwise and open it.
Do radiator covers block heat? Check our guide and more energy-saving tips.
Step 3: Monitor how the radiators heat up
Once all of your radiator valves are opened up, it's time to turn your central heating back on.
Once the heating is on, monitor which radiators heat up first and in which order.
Typically, the radiators closest to the heat source e.g. the gas boiler will heat up faster than the ones further away.
Top tip: it's often a good idea to have more than one person doing this task, so why not get the whole family or some friends involved?
Is your radiator leaking? It may be a lockshield valve leaking.
Step 4: Turn the central heating back off
Once you have made the notes on which radiators heated up first and fastest, it's time to turn the heating back off.
The reason for this is that you're aiming to balance the flow of hot water through the heating system, which is easier to do from a "cold start".
Step 5: Adjust the radiator that heats up fastest
Once the heating has been off for some time and the radiators are cool, return to the radiator that heated up the fastest.
Next, turn the lockshield valve fully so that it is closed and then re-open it only slightly (a quarter of a turn).
Step 6: Record the temperature and adjust the valve as required
When the radiator begins to get warm, you will then record the temperature using your digital thermometer or multimeter with a thermometer.
You will first record the temperature at the valve and then at the opposite end of the actual radiator itself.
Make sure to note both of these temperatures as you make further adjustments as necessary.
The lockshield valve will need to be adjusted very gradually until the difference between the readings of the two pipes is 12°c exactly.
Please note: it's important to give the radiators enough time to adjust as you make the changes, perhaps giving them a few minutes between each reading.
Step 7: Repeat the process for all the other radiators
Once the first radiator has been adjusted so that the temperature difference between the valve and the other side of the radiator is balanced to exactly 12°c, it's time to repeat the process for your other radiators.
Do this in the order that they heated up, i.e. the fastest first and then the slowest.
During the balancing process, you will typically find that the amount the lockshield valve needs to be adjusted is roughly correlated to the distance the radiator is from the primary heat source e.g. the boiler.
In some cases, you may find that the radiator further away from the boiler may need to have the valve completely open in order to be successfully balanced.
Once you have completed this process, you should find that all your radiators are now balanced and heating up at the same speed.
This is because the hot water from your boiler is now flowing through the system and reaching the radiator furthest away as evenly as it is to the radiator closest to where it originated i.e. within the boiler.
Turning down your boiler flow temperature could also save you up to 8% on your heating bill too, check our new guide on whether to turn the radiators off in unused rooms for another quick and free energy-saving hack.
Balancing radiators FAQ
Here are some of the most common balancing radiator questions and answers:
What if the radiators are still unbalanced after following the steps above?
If you find that your radiators still have cold spots or are struggling to heat up at an equal speed, then there may be another underlying issue.
Commonly this can include sludge, which itself can impact the flow of hot water through your central heating system. Telltale signs of sludge buildup is thick, black water escaping your radiator vents when bleeding your radiators and cold spots at the bottom of the radiator.
If this is the case, then your central heating system will need a deep clean, which is usually achieved with a power flush.
Another common cause is a weak or broken pump that is not adequately circulating the hot water through your system.
In either case, you will need the help and assistance of a registered Gas Safe engineer.
Think you may have a boiler problem?
Do you think you may have another issue not related to trapped air in your central heating system or radiators?
If so, you may want to check out our guide to the most common boiler problems (and solutions).
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