How to balance radiators
Ever wondered How to balance radiators, because they are not heating up equally.
Are some of the radiators in your home taking much longer to heat up than others? It’s possible that your radiators need balancing.
This guide will walk you through balancing a radiator, helping restore balance in your home’s heating system. When to balance radiators Unbalanced radiators don’t heat up at the same speed as each other, making some areas of your house colder than others.
It means the hot water flowing from your boiler is not being distributed evenly and it can become an issue during these freezing winter nights when you need heat, like, NOW. Balance or bleed?
If you find that some of your radiators are showing cold spots in certain patches across their surface, you’ll need to bleed them first. Here’s our full guide on how to bleed a radiator.
When you balance radiators, you’re allowing more water to flow to the colder radiators in your home, restricting the flow from radiators that are too hot.
If some rooms are colder than others, it may mean that some radiators are heating up faster than others. So if your radiators aren’t working properly and you’re not sure whether to bleed or balance them, do both.
Let’s sort out the problem for you. Tools you’ll need Radiator bleed key Lockshield valve key or adjustable spanner Screwdriver Digital thermometer/multimeter with thermometer
Get cosy with your radiator valves! You need to know the three main types to fix this issue: Manual valve This is the old-fashioned type that you can use to turn your radiator on and off. It’s also called a wheel head 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. It looks like a dial with numbers on it As the name implies, they 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 […]
