What To Do If Your Radiator Isn’t Heating Up

Is your radiator not heating up? No need to panic. With the temperature dropping across the UK, now is the perfect time to check whether all your radiators are heating up ahead of when the winter weather really begins to settle in. Taking a few minutes to check each of the radiators in your home can be the make or break between a cosy and cold winter and finding a solution and it doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours on your hands and knees. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at what to do if your radiator isn’t heating up properly.

Radiator Not Heating Up?

Your radiator not heating up could be a sign that you need to bleed your radiator or that there’s a wider problem with your central heating or boiler. Before concluding why your radiator isn’t heating up, we recommend testing the following steps to ensure you don’t pay over the odds for a simple fix.

System Problems

Before bleeding your radiator, it’s beneficial to scout your central heating and boiler system for any large, possibly underlying problems or damage that may be the cause of your cold radiator. This is particularly true is none or a handful of radiators in your home are failing to circulate heat, as it may mean that it’s no longer working properly. You should look out for signs such as strange noises and a lack of hot water. If you believe there to be problem, call an engineer to find the source of it. They’ll be able to diagnose what the problem is and what the solution is to get your hot water and central heating back on.

Radiator Bleeding

None of us enjoy bleeding our radiators, but it’s one of those things that must be done to keep them in tip top condition. Doing so is even more significant ahead of winter, ensuring you have access to hot water and heating as the temperature outside continues to drop. Now, the reason for one radiator not heating up may be because they haven’t been switched on since the Autumn which is very common at this time of year. If you’re unsure how, we’ve created a step-by-step guide explaining how to check for trapped air and bleed household radiators to resume your winter cosiness.

Radiator Not Heating Up After Bleeding?

Sometimes, trapped air in your radiator won’t be the problem, but instead because of your radiator valves. If your radiator still fails to heat up after bleeding, ensure both the valve on the left and right of your radiator are completely open. If applicable, also make sure the thermostatic valves on the radiator are switched on. If your radiator still fails to conduct any heat, your thermostatic valves may have seized. This isn’t uncommon but may be stopping your radiator from working. If you believe the problem to be this, get in touch with an engineer to replace it.

Powerflushing

Powerflushing is what it says on the tin, removing the sludge and debris that can build up in our central heating systems over time. This build up is a result of general use and not something you can necessarily avoid, though is recommended every 5 to 6 years to prevent any sudden loss of heating. Fortunately, you may be able to identify the need for powerflushing yourself through recording whether your radiator(s) heat up at the top but not the bottom. If this is the case, it’s likely that sludge has built up in the bottom of your radiator and requires removal to stop further build up and damage.

Electric Radiators

If using electric radiators check the fuse box to make sure a fuse hasn’t tripped and the radiator is still being powered.

Seek Expert Help

If these easy at-home methods fail to help get your heating back on, you’re best to seek the advice of an expert. They will be able to identify the cause of your radiator not heating up, providing a solution to help you rectify the issue yourself or with the support of an engineer. This way, you can be certain of the root problem, ensuring the health of the other radiators in your home are not impacted whilst ensuring you stay warm and comfortable.

Radiator Not Heating? Check Now

Regardless of whether your radiator isn’t heating up properly or you’re having deeper central heating issues, uncovering the problem is the first step to ensuring you don’t miss out on the warmth they provide. With colder temperatures creeping in, make yourself a note to check each radiator in the home in the coming weeks and check out how else to run domestic central heating in the winter.

For further radiator support, contact our sales team on 0800 876 6813 today.