How do I drain my heating system down?

How to drain down your central heating system

  1. Switch off your system. …
  2. If you have a solid fuel boiler, put out the fire. …
  3. Now cut the water supply. …
  4. Attach a hosepipe to the correct radiator’s drain-off valve. …
  5. Start draining your upstairs radiators. …
  6. Open bleed valves to speed up the process. …
  7. Close all valves back up.

How long does it take to drain a central heating system?





Make sure that all the radiator valves in your house are open and if necessary check twice. Next, open the radiator valve, to which the hosepipe is attached and drain your central heating down. The entire process may take around 20 minutes to more than an hour, based on the type of system you have.

Should I drain my heating system?

Good upkeep of your heating system is vital in both ensuring an efficient performance, and avoiding issues. Therefore, you will need to drain your heating system from time to time. The reason for doing so could range from removing sludge to repairing a leak or changing the radiator.

How do you drain and refill a heating system?

Close all bleed & drain valves



Go round each radiator and close every bleed valve and drain valve and, if you have a feed and expansion tank, release the ball valve. You can then switch the mains water supply back on. After a short while, your central heating system will start to refill with water.

How do you drain down a pressurized central heating system?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: After all the air vents or stairs are open check the hose pipe outside make sure is water coming out of it. And then leave it about 10 minutes and carry out the same the downstairs. Radiators.

Do you need to turn water off to drain central heating?





If you have a conventional heating system, you will first need to isolate the water going into the header tank before switching off your boiler. If you have a combi-boiler, you can simply switch it off and drain the water once it’s cool enough.

How do I drain my boiler and radiators?

How to Drain Your Boiler

  1. Step 1: Do a Quick Flush. …
  2. Step 2: Turn off Your System. …
  3. Step 3: Open the Drain Valve and Flush the Tank With Water. …
  4. Step 4: Refill Your Hot Water Heater. …
  5. Step 5: Relight the Water Heater and Check the Drain Valve. …
  6. Things to Remember. …
  7. Take Care of Your Boiler System.


How often should you drain your central heating?

This depends on the material your radiators are made out of, the age and type of your boiler, and the hardness of your water. The short and generally agreed upon answer is that you should flush your radiators every 5 to 6 years.

How do I shut off the water to my central heating?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: First turn the gate valve handle all the way to the left until it stops. Then back it off a quarter turn back to the right and tighten.

Can you flush your own central heating system?

There are a couple of ways that you can clean the sludge out of your heating system. The first is called a powerflush, which is both the name of the method and also a physical device that your heating engineer will use. Alternatively, you can take every radiator off one at a time and flush it yourself.

How do you drain and fill a central heating system with a combi boiler?

How to Drain a Combi Boiler

  1. Turn Off Your Boiler.
  2. Locate the Drainage Valve.
  3. Connect a Hose to the Valve.
  4. Open the Drainage Valve.
  5. Open the Bleed Valves on the Upstairs Radiators.
  6. Repeat for the Downstairs Radiators.
  7. Tighten the Valves.



What happens if you bleed a radiator with the heating on?

You must not bleed a radiator when the heating is turned on as it may be too hot to touch and hot water could spray out of it. Ensure the heating is turned off before you begin bleeding a radiator. Letting out air when the pump is running will only draw more air into the system from elsewhere.

Do you drain all the water when bleeding a radiator?

Bleeding your radiators isn’t the same as flushing a system – you’re not removing the water, just letting the air out. It’s a process that takes just a few minutes, but could improve the efficiency of your heating system and make your home a little toastier.

Should you bleed radiators when they are hot or cold?

Should I be bleeding radiators hot or cold? Always make sure your central heating system (your boiler) is turned off and your radiators are cold before attempting to bleed them. When turned on, your radiators contain hot water, and you could be at risk of scalding yourself if you bleed them at this time.

Which radiator do I bleed first?



radiator downstairs

If you are bleeding more than one radiator at a time, ensure your central heating is fully switched off before proceeding. In a standard house with more than one floor, the first radiator to bleed should be the radiator downstairs on the lowest floor and the furthest away from the boiler.

Do downstairs radiators need bleeding?

If your home has 2 floors you should begin bleeding the downstairs radiators first. It’s also advisable to start with the radiator which is furthest away from the boiler. Once you’ve bled all the downstairs radiators you move on to the upstairs, again beginning with the radiator which is furthest from the boiler.

Do you bleed radiators until water stops?

Simply carry on bleeding the radiator until the hissing noise has stopped and water begins to run out of the bleed valve. This means that you have bled all of the air out of the radiator.

Can bleeding radiators affect boiler?



Yes. During the process of bleeding radiators, air is released from within them, which in turn reduces the pressure in your boiler system.

Why do I keep getting air in my radiators?

Air can build up in radiators as a result of installing the pump above the supply tank. There can be an accumulation of hydrogen in the system as a result of rust within piping or the development of too much sludge. Leaks are often a cause for air build-up in central heating systems.

Why does my radiator need bleeding every week?

All radiators require bleeding to remove air bubbles that form periodically during the life of a system. Air can be introduced into a central heating system in several ways. It can occur when new water enters the system from the expansion tank or when a routine maintenance is carried out.