This article is a guide on how to ensure your radiators are all heating evenly. It’s not an article on wellbeing for radiators, sorry to disappoint.
What is radiator balancing?
Radiator balancing is a term often used in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) industry, which refers to the practice of ensuring that the distribution of heat in a heating system is balanced across all the radiators.
In other words, radiator balancing involves adjusting the flow rate of hot water in each radiator so that they all receive equal heat output, which leads to increased comfort, energy efficiency, and cost savings. This can be achieved by installing thermostatic radiator valves, using flow meters, or manually adjusting the flow rate using a valve.
Why is balancing your radiators important?
Balancing radiators is important to ensure that all the radiators in a heating system are delivering the same amount of heat. This is important because:
- It helps to ensure a comfortable temperature throughout the house: If some radiators are hotter and some are cooler, there may be cold spots in certain parts of the house, which can make it uncomfortable for the freezers amongst us.
- It can save energy and money: If radiators are not balanced, some might be working harder than they need to, and others might be running inefficiently. This imbalance can result in wasted energy, which can ultimately result in higher heating bills.
- It can improve the lifespan of the heating system: When radiators are properly balanced, they will work more efficiently and effectively, which can reduce wear and tear on the heating system. This can extend the lifespan of the system and save you money on repairs and replacements.
Difference between balancing and bleeding your radiators
Balancing a radiator system involves adjusting the flow of hot water to each radiator to ensure even heating throughout your home. This is typically done using flow meters or other measuring equipment to adjust the flow rate in each radiator to the desired level, more on this later.
Bleeding a radiator involves removing trapped air from the radiator. Air can build up in the system over time, which can prevent the radiator from working efficiently or at all. Bleeding the radiator will release the trapped air and get your rads all toasty again.
Cold Spots on Your Radiators
If your rads have cold spots at the top and they sometimes make strange gurgling noises, then it’s probably down to trapped air, which can be easily released with a radiator bleed key.
If however, you’re noticing cold spots at the bottom of your radiators, then this is more likely to be caused by a sludge build up. Over time, bits of metal will flake off your radiators and form sludge, which can build up at the bottom of radiators, stopping from heating efficiently.
There are a few fixes for dealing with sludge in your boiler or central heating system. Central heating inhibitor is more of a preventative option which helps to break down build up of sludge, before it gets too… sludgy.
Installation of a magnetic filter on the return flow pipe to your boiler will capture elements of sludge, this will then be emptied out next time you get your boiler serviced. You could flush the sludge out of your system with a chemical flush, powerflush or a Magnacleanse. Now, let’s get back on track and look more on how to balance your radiators.
Knowing your valves
Although it may not be particularly interesting, it is particularly useful to know the difference between the 3 main valve types on a radiator.
- Manual valve
This is the old-fashioned type that you can use to turn your radiator on and off. It’s also called a wheelhead or control valve. It’s only got two positions – on or off – so that’s the only control you have over the amount of hot water flowing into your radiator. - Thermostatic Valve (TRVs)
Most modern radiators have a thermostatic valve instead of a manual valve. TRV’s are highly recommended to give you more control over your heating by allowing you to turn the temperature dial up or down with ease.A smart thermostatic radiator valve is an upgrade of a standard TRV. Unlike traditional radiator valves that only let users turn radiators on and off, smart thermostatic radiator valves allow users to control the temperature of the radiators independently, depending on individual needs in each room.
They can be connected to smart home devices and controlled using your phone or tablet, making it easy to adjust temperature settings whenever needed.
Some models also have additional features such as sensors that can detect when someone enters or leaves a room, helping to save energy and reduce costs by automatically adjusting the heating settings accordingly.
As the name implies, TRV’s have their own thermostat so that once the surrounding temperature reaches your desired level, the valve regulates the hot water flow into the radiator and only uses as much energy as needed. Keep TRVs away from your general room/house thermostat – if they’re in the same room they will interfere and compete with each other. - Lockshield valve
This is the one covered by a small domed plastic cap and it looks like you can’t really do much with it. In fact, you need to use grips of some kind to pull off the plastic cap. Some have a screw through the top of the cap that must be removed before the plastic bit can be pulled off. Underneath the cap it looks like the end of a flat-head screwdriver.
How to balance your radiators
Before we get into it, there are a few things you will need to be able to balance your radiators like a pro:
- Radiator bleed key
- Adjustable spanner
- Screwdriver
- Digital thermometer (if you don’t have one you can use your hands, but be careful)
We recommend leaving plenty of time for your radiators to cool down before starting this process.
Here are the steps to balance your radiators:
- Turn off the central heating system and wait for the radiators to cool down.
- Start by turning all the radiator valves to the maximum open position.
If you have thermostatic radiator valves, we mean the highest number, so if your valve runs from 1-5, turn that bad boy up to 5.
If you don’t have TRV’s then make sure the lock shields are open. You can do this by removing the plastic cap. You can then use your adjustable spanner to turn the valve anti-clockwise and open it – to the max. - Use a radiator key to open the bleed valve on the radiator furthest from the boiler. Wait until the water flows freely, then close the valve. This will release any air trapped in the radiator.
- Move onto the next radiator along the circuit and repeat the process.
- Turn on the heating system and wait for the radiators to heat up.
- Use a radiator thermometer to measure the temperature of each radiator. It will usually be the radiators closest to your boiler that will heat up first.
- Go to the fastest heating radiator and turn the valve clockwise until it’s completely closed and then open it by a quarter of a turn.
- Once the radiator has heated up, take a temperature reading. Take the reading right at the pipework connected to the valve, where it meets the floor or wall.
- Now take the temperature of the pipework leading to the manual valve/TRV. Slowly open the Lockshield valve until the temperature reading is around a 12-degree Celsius difference from the Lockshield valve reading you took in step.
- Check the system periodically to ensure all radiators are still balanced and make any necessary adjustments.
If the radiators haven’t been properly balanced before, it may take a bit more tweaking to get the balance correct. When you’ve finished, check the front of your boiler to make sure the pressure level is around the 1.5 bar sweet spot, we’ve written blogs on how to repressurise a combi boiler, what to do if your boiler pressure is too high, and if your boiler is losing pressure.
If you are unsure, it is always best to seek professional help from a heating engineer.
How often should I balance my radiators?
We suggest that your radiators should be balanced once a year. This will ensure that all radiators are heating to the correct temperature and that your heating system is working efficiently.
However, if you notice some radiators are not heating up as quickly or as much as others, it may be a sign that they need to be balanced sooner. Certain situations may require a balance sooner rather than later:
- After removal of radiators for decorating
- If you’ve replaced radiators and/or valves
- If you’ve had your system flushed or cleansed
- Following alterations to the heating system
- If your central heating pump has been replaced
- Following the replacement of the boiler
Still getting cold patches after balancing?
If your radiator(s) are still cold in places after balancing them, then the following culprits could be to blame:
- Check for blockages: A common cause of a cold radiator is when there is an obstruction in the system that prevents hot water from flowing. Make sure there is no blockage in the pipes, valves, or radiators.
- Air in the system: Air trapped in the heating system can also stop the hot water from circulating properly. Bleed your radiators to remove any trapped air from the system.
- Faulty valve: If the valve on your radiator is faulty, it can prevent the hot water from flowing into the radiator. Check the valve and replace it if necessary.
- Boiler issues: A faulty boiler can cause issues with heating. Check the pressure, pilot light, and thermostat on your boiler to make sure everything is functioning correctly.
- Incorrectly sized radiator: If your radiator is too small for the room it is in, it may not heat up properly. Check that your radiator is the correct size for the room.
If you have tried all of these things and your radiator is still cold, it may be time to call in a professional.
Another issue you could have is that your boiler is running out of steam. If your boiler is over ten years old then it might be time to replace it with a more efficient boiler. We have written a blog on the 10 most common boiler issues and how to fix them if this blog still hasn’t resolve your cold radiator issue.
By taking the WarmZilla online survey we will suggest boilers that are the correct kW output to heat your home, so if your current boiler is underpowered to heat the radiators in your home, we can take care of that problem.
FAQs
Radiator balancing involves adjusting the flow rate of hot water in each radiator so that they all receive equal heat output, which leads to increased comfort, energy efficiency, and cost savings.
This can be achieved by installing thermostatic radiator valves, using flow meters, or manually adjusting the flow rate using a valve.
Radiators need to be balanced to ensure a regular heat around the home, save money on heating bills, and it can help your heating system to last longer as it doesn’t have to work as hard to get your home to the required temperature.
We suggest that your radiators should be balanced once a year unless you notice some radiators are not heating up as you would expect.
This will ensure that all radiators are heating to the correct temperature and that your heating system is working efficiently.
Balancing a radiator system involves adjusting the flow of hot water to each radiator to ensure even heating throughout your home.
Bleeding a radiator involves removing trapped air from the radiator. Air can build up in the system over time, which can prevent the radiator from working efficiently or at all. Bleeding the radiator will release the trapped air and get your rads all toasty again.
