0 %

DIY guideRadiator

Radiator still cold after bleeding

Check the radiator's own valve is open and read the boiler's pressure gauge. Low or falling pressure is a heating pro's: never top the boiler up yourself.

  • 10 to 40 min
  • 6 steps
  • Every step animated
Radiator still cold after bleeding: the animation’s first picture

6 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

  1. Make sure the boiler is on and the thermostat is set above the room temperature.

  2. Turn the valve at the bottom of the radiator counterclockwise as far as it goes. A thermostatic head turns to its highest setting.

    The pipes and the valve can be hot: use a cloth.
  3. Wait half an hour, then feel the radiator at the top and the bottom. Warm all over means it's working.

  4. Feel the radiators on each floor. If the top floor's are cold, the boiler's pressure may be low.

  5. Find the pressure gauge on the boiler's front. The needle should sit in its normal range, often marked green.

  6. Needle below its range, dropping again, or the radiator still cold: don't top the boiler up yourself. Ask Handyman for a heating pro.

What you need

  • A cloth
  • A flashlight, to read the gauge

Call a pro if

  • The boiler's needle is below its normal range, or keeps dropping
  • The radiator stays cold with its valve open
  • Water drips from the valve or the pipes
  • It's a steam radiator

Handyman says: Pressure low? I'll find a heating pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.

Icon Rather have
a pro do it?