A SAVVY plumber has revealed a quick and cheap way to slash your heating bills when using a radiator.
As winter arrives, this trick can not only be done in seconds but also spare you from soaring bills.
GettyA plumber has revealed a quick and cheap way to slash your heating bills when using a radiator[/caption]
Experts at DIY Plumbing revealed there are plenty of ways to make radiators “hotter and heat up faster” without the need of any specialist tools.
The plumbing pros also noted that the “fastest and cheapest way” to make sure radiators are heating the room properly is to remove any objects on them or underneath them.
They explained: “That’s because radiators work on the principle that hot air rises by natural convection. Cold air is drawn up the radiator at the bottom and rises out warm at the top.”
Anything that’s placed on or under the radiator will almost probably obstruct this process, so keep your radiators clean.
According to experts at Heat Advisor, cleaning them shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
If a household notices that one room is consistently cooler than the others and that its radiator takes a long time to heat up, it may also be a good idea to balance the radiators.
“Balancing your radiators ensures that they heat up evenly, regardless of how close they are to the boiler,” the experts said.
Homes with balanced radiators will have optimal temperatures and will be able to enjoy every room without constantly fussing with the thermostat.
As well as cleaning them, radiators must be dusted so that air can easily pass through them. Large clumps of dust and lint can clog the radiator’s core and limit its efficiency.
“Air trapped inside” can also cause radiators to be frigid at the top yet heated at the bottom.
The air essentially takes up the place where hot water should be, experts said.
According to the experts, “You can quickly increase the radiator’s performance by bleeding this air out.”
Some homeowners might find that their radiator is hot on top but cool on the bottom. If this is the case, sludge has most likely built up inside.
Radiator sludge is a mixture of rust, dirt, and scale that accumulates over time and flows through the system.
Sludge is also the leading cause of boiler breakdowns and may rapidly age your system, therefore it must be removed as soon as possible, the plumbing pros warned.