Are your radiators cold? Is your water not getting hot enough? You may have an airlock! Use our methods to clear your airlock today.
Airlocked pipes can be incredibly frustrating as they stop your central heating from working properly and reduce your ability to get access to hot water. An airlock is simply trapped air that stops the effective circulation of hot water. The good news is that airlocks can typically be resolved with minimal effort, and we are here to tell you how!
How Do I Know if I have an Airlock?
Before you can remove an airlock, you will need to be confident that you have one. To work out if you do have an airlock, you will need to look for one or more of these signs:
- Radiators not getting hot enough
- Radiators with cold patches even when the heating is on
- Taps not running hot
- Warm or tepid water instead of hot in the shower, bath, or basins
A How-To Guide on Removing Hot Water System Airlocks
Once you have assessed that you have an airlock in your hot water system, you will be keen to remove it so that you can get back to enjoying heat and hot water. We have shared two ways that you can do this below.
The Hose Pipe Method
Tools: Length of hose (1m) and gaffer tape
Method: Choose a sink in your property and attach one end of the hose pipe to the hot tap and the other end to the cold tap. You will need to carefully seal the hosepipes to the taps with the gaffer tape so that no leaks escape. When this is done, turn on the hot water tap and then turn on the cold water tap for a few seconds before turning both taps off. You will then need to nip to another room and run the hot water tap before going back to the hosepipe sink and repeating the process up to six times.
Solution: Once you have completed all the steps, you should find that the airlock is cleared. However, if it hasn’t, you can try our alternative method below.
The Water Removal Method
Tools: None
Method: You will need to start by switching your water off at the mains and then running all taps and flushing toilets to get rid of all the water that is left in the system. When all the water has been removed, you will need to close all the taps off and then open them slightly so that they can drip. At this point, you can turn the water back on and then move through the property turning all the taps on more and then again until they are all fully open.
Solution: This method gives the trapped air an escape route and should resolve the airlock with ease.
If, after trying these solutions, you find that an airlock is still present, you will need to arrange for an engineer to come and assess the problem.
A How-To Guide on Removing Central Heating Airlocks
If your airlock is within the central heating system, you will need to remove it via your radiators. This is because the air within the system will be stopping the hot water from flowing properly. There is a simple solution to this problem – called radiator bleeding.
The Radiator Bleeding Method
Tools: a radiator bleeding key, an old towel and a container
Method: Place the container under the radiator valve and then use the bleeding key to slowly open the value. You will hear a hissing noise as the air escapes and then water will begin to escape. At this point, close the valve and wipe up any drips. Work your way around every radiator in the property, completing the same steps over again. Finally, take a look at the pressure gauge on your boiler and check that it is around the 1.5 mark and that there is no leakage coming from anywhere.
Solution: This should now have cleared your airlock!
If your radiators are old, you may find that this method doesn’t solve the issue. This is because there may be a build-up of grime that needs to be removed. A heating engineer will be able to complete a power flush to do this for you – this is a process that sends cleaning chemicals through your heating system at speed, pushing the dirt out at the other end.
Finding the Best Engineer
If you have tried all the methods above, then you will need to consider getting a professional in to help. At Boilers Prices, we are here to help you find the best engineer for the best price so that you can look forward to having a system that works properly again.
All you need to do is complete our free quotes form and we will then complete a search and link you to the qualified heating engineers in your local area. We always suggest more than one engineer with you so that you can get a range of quotes to choose from. Our no-obligation quotation service is here to help you get the best results when you need it the most – try us today!