When you touch your radiator, if the top feels cool while the bottom feels hot, it is an indication of air trapped in the central heating system. It is desirable to release this air to allow the system to function better and generate more heat around your home. This easy DIY job is known as bleeding a radiator.

First, you need to establish if your central heating is a gravity fed or combination boiler system. If it is a combination boiler, ensure you know how to re-pressurise the system afterwards if required. Check the manufacturer’s brochure for instructions on how to do this.

Radiator bleed keys can be obtained from all major DIY outlets. To bleed the radiator, the special key should be fitted onto the bleed valve, which is located at the top left, right or rear of the radiator. An old cloth or bowl is useful to catch any drips that may leak out. The key should be turned half a turn anti-clockwise. The escaping air will be audible. Once water starts to drip from the bleed valve, return it clockwise to the closed position. Beware of over-tightening the valve as this can damage the thread.

It may be necessary to bleed more than one of the radiators in your central heating system, so check them all in the same way.

Remember that if you have a combination boiler, do not forget to re-pressurise the system afterwards, as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

DIY Projects

Underfloor heating systems are now more affordable than ever and as each room can be dealt with one at a time they are perfect for restoration or refurbishing projects.  Underfloor heating kits are also fairly easy to install and so can form part of a DIY project.

The easiest system to install for a DIY enthusiast is electric underfloor heating, which is ideal for tiled, laminate or carpeted floors.  These systems are programmed by using an underfloor heating thermostat in each room and are controlled throughout the night and day.  DIY water underfloor heating kits are also available, but are slightly trickier to install.

DIY Underfloor Heating Kits

A variety of underfloor heating kits are available and it is important to ensure that the one you purchase is suitable for the room and the type of flooring where it is to be installed.  Underfloor heating kits should provide all the equipment required and some companies offer a bespoke kit, which is custom made to suit your specific requirements.

All underfloor electric heating kits should come with a guarantee.  When purchasing electric cable underfloor heating systems it is important to check the power consumption.  If this is less than 3kw the cables can be wired up as a fused spur on a ring main.  However, if the total power consumption exceeds 3kw it will have to have its own separate circuit and be fitted with a 30 or 32 amp MCB at the consumer unit.

Insulating jackets can be purchased, but if you have some roof insulating material handy a perfectly adequate jacket can be made at home, and secured around your water tank.  Fill some large plastic bags with insulating material and stack them around the water tank; remember to include the top.  Once the bags are in place they can be secured using bungee cords or duct tape.

The hot water tank may not be subject to freezing, but a huge amount of heat can be lost from a non-insulated tank, and that is a waste of money and energy.  It is better to purchase a jacket for your tank than attempt to make one.  Considering the savings, it is a worthwhile investment.

The ideal jacket should be 75mm-100mm thick.  It is better to buy one a little too large rather than too small.  The jacket can be secured with webbing belts or ties supplied with the jacket.

The addition of extra radiators is simple in principle, involving cutting into the existing flow and return pipes at the most convenient points and connecting tails that will link up to the new radiator.  This necessarily involves drainage of the heating system before you begin work, and this is an ideal opportunity for flushing out any sludge, descaling the boiler and incorporating a corrosion inhibitor. Like a lot of other DIY jobs, the addition of a radiator can have ramifications, or opportunities if you like.

Draining and refilling the entire system can however be avoided if you are in a rush, by using a pipe-freezing kit.   This will form plugs of ice on each side of the place where the tee will be connected, effectively isolating the area from the rest of the system.  Once the tees have been connected into place, you simply hang the new radiator on the wall by its brackets and connect it to the rest of the system.

The first step is to decide on the position for the radiator and fix it to the wall, then bend the pipes and run them down to the below-floor connection point.  Then connect the upper ends to the valves and tee the other ends in to the supply pipe.

For this reason it is important that bathroom radiators fulfil their intended function.  However, bathroom radiators need not necessarily be all about the performance.

A carefully chosen bathroom radiator can make a great functional feature and can help add to the character of this space, which is likely to be visited at one point or another by any guests to your home.  Bathroom radiators come in a wide range of shapes and styles with something available to suit all tastes and budgets.

Choose from an exciting replica design that is reminiscent of the institutional installations of days gone by (also available in their original form from architectural salvage) or opt for an ultra modern sculpted standing piece that could double for a work of art.

For those who wish to keep the focus on the functional, it is possible to buy designer radiators that serve a dual purpose – doubling up as towel rails for space saving and offering bathroom users a warm fabric embrace as they step from the bath or shower.

Whatever bathroom radiators appeal to your own sense of style, it can be helpful to take advice from a plumber to ensure your choice will work in the available space.

Understanding the essentials of the system will help you to sort out problems when they occur, and save you money by not calling out the professionals.

There are a number of different types of central heating system, but they all work along the same lines.

The boiler is at the heart of any central heating system, and can be one of three types.  The conventional boiler uses a hot water storage cylinder and two cisterns in the roof space for storing cold water.  One of the cisterns supplies the hot water cylinder and the other the central heating system.  Most boilers were of this type until the 1980s.

Combination boilers, or ‘combis’ as they are more commonly known, are now far more popular because of their convenience benefits.  With the combi, hot water is available literally on tap, instantly, and space is freed up in the loft because there is no need for water tanks.  Included with most combis is a temperature control that can be adjusted conveniently as required, and a timer so the heating can be set to come on and off at pre-set times.

A system boiler is a combi used only for the central heating, with the domestic water supply handled separately. 

Preparation
Before you start laying the underfloor heating, consider carefully where it is best placed.  It may be costly and time consuming to have to dig out again in case you have made a mistake.  There are two main types of underfloor heating: electrical wires and hot water pipes.  Electrical wire heating is most suited to floors made from wood or other relatively porous types of material.  Hot water pipes can be laid with harder material such as brick or tiles.

Test the System
Before you refill the floor, having laid the underfloor heating, you should test the electrical wires or hot water pipes.  This is again so that you do not have to dig it up in case of faulty connections or leaks. The hot water pipes should normally function well, but some may have been damaged inadvertently. You naturally should avoid any chance of leaks.

How Underfloor Heating Works

Whether choosing an electric or water system, underfloor heating works the same way – by warming a room from the floor up. This means that people begin to feel the effects more quickly than they would with conventional radiators. The heat is also radiated rather than convected, which means the room is warmed more evenly across its space.

Warm Water Underfloor Heating System

A warm water underfloor heating system uses flexible pipes looped under the floor and connected to an existing boiler or radiator via a manifold. Any type of fuel can be used to heat the water, including conventional substances like gas and oil, or contemporary methods like Agas or solar panels. Because water underfloor heating systems rely on long-duration heating, a condensing boiler is often recommended as a cost-effective choice.

Electric Underfloor Heating System

An electric underfloor heating system usually comes in thin, installable ‘mat’ form. Placed underneath flooring and connected to a power supply, this type of system uses a thermostat to control the heating activity. Underfloor mats are much easier to install than warm water piping, and can often simply be glued beneath the floor tiles. However, electric underfloor heating systems tend to cost more money to operate than their warm water counterparts.

Water underfloor heating
Water underfloor heating (or wet underfloor heating) is more expensive to install, but more economical to run. Furthermore, by using systems with full lengths of piping, without joints, a wet underfloor heating system can last the lifetime of a building, remaining virtually maintenance free in the duration.

Carbon floor heating
Carbon film heating systems work with wood, laminate, or under carpet or vinyl when placed in combination with a plywood overlay. The advantages of carbon floor heating are that it is fast working and controllable. It is an inexpensive choice, but easy to install (as a DIY underfloor heating project), and has little effect on your floor height.

Insulation

Proper insulation plays an important part in maximising the benefit of any floor heating system, especially when using low temperatures. When building a new homes or extending an older one, insulation can be incorporated into the flooring at the design stage.  For already-built homes, underfloor heating insulation boards can be used. In general, these boards are made from low-conductivity material and provide the needed strength to support thick screeds and tile and laminate floors.