Have you noticed your radiators aren’t heating up? Maybe you can feel some cold spots? Or perhaps you have a room that never seems to get warm in the evenings?
It can be frustrating trying to work out why your central heating isn’t working as it should, but there are a couple of simple reasons why it could be happening.
In Ireland, radiators work overtime, and eventually, like the rest of us, they get tired. Over time, they can become sluggish and slow, and in turn less efficient and less cost-effective. Together with our team of energy experts, we look at some of the most common solutions to this problem.
The first step is to go to the main part of your central heating system - your boiler. Is it working? Is it making odd noises? Do you have hot water? Also check to see if some of the radiators aren’t working properly, or if all of them are faulty. One or two might be an isolated issue, but if all of them are cold, or your boiler isn’t functioning properly, it could indicate a bigger problem, and it’s probably time to call in a qualified technician.
We work with a team of experienced Service Engineers who can visit your property, carry out tests on your boiler, and diagnose the fault. They’re all fully insured and RGI certified so you can rest assured your boiler is in safe hands and will be repaired to the highest standards. If you’d like to book an inspection or repair just click here.
If you think the problem is isolated to just one or two radiators, there are steps you can take yourself to try to get them back in working order. If the radiator is completely cold to the touch, check the valves: you should make sure they’re both open, and they haven’t seized up. The issue could also be as simple as trapped air, which often causes radiators to get warm at the bottom, but stay cold at the top. This can happen in any house, especially if you’re just turning on your radiators again after a spell of warm weather.
The solution is quite simple: you just need to bleed your radiators, using a special key. Go slow as you work, unscrewing just a little until you hear a hissing sound. Let the air escape, and when the noise has stopped and some water trickles out, close the bleed screw tightly again. If this does the trick, your radiator will soon heat up as normal and your house will feel cosy and comfortable in no time. If you find you have to bleed your radiators quite often, you might need to schedule an appointment for Power Flushing, which we’ll look at next.
If your boiler’s still working, and the simple fixes aren’t solving your problem, it’s possible your central heating system might need to be powerflushed. Over time, sludge and scale can build within the system, making your radiators less efficient and less cost effective to run. One of the most common signs of this is that your radiators are warm at the top but not at the bottom, as debris is stopping that area from heating up properly. Sometimes your boiler might be making noises too, which could be a tell-tale sign that there is a build-up of limescale inside.
Bord Gáis Energy makes the Power Flushing process easy: simply schedule an appointment and one of our qualified Service Engineers will visit your home and check if this technique will help solve your problem. If it’s suitable, they’ll drain your system and then use a Power Flushing machine to flush it out. Finally, they’ll pump a cleaning agent through to remove the sludge and ensure there are no remaining blockages. This is a very effective solution to the problem of poorly-performing radiators, increasing the efficiency and extending the life of your central heating system.
If you’d like to speak to one of our team of energy experts about how Power Flushing could help fix your problem radiators, call our HomeCare Team today on 01 611 01 45. They’ll be glad to talk you through your options and arrange for an appointment with one of our experienced Service Engineers. In the long term, Power Flushing reduces the risk of breakdowns, noisy boilers and cold spots. That means warmer radiators and cosier evenings ahead.
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Power Flushing: have you noticed your radiators are giving out less heat than they once did? It’s a common complaint, and usually because sludge and scale has built up in your central heating system over time making them less efficient and less cost effective to run.
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