Cleaning a Home Heating System's Radiator

Cleaning the radiator on a home's central heating system is a task that many homeowners can handle on their own, saving money on expensive repair fees. Proper maintenance of the radiator can prevent damage to your home's boiler and will make the heating system more efficient. Here is a quick guide to cleaning your central heating system's radiator on your own.

Cleaning a home heating system's radiator: Why it must be cleaned

The radiator is a crucial component in any boiler-based central home heating system. Water is pumped through the boiler, where it is heated up and then pumped into the radiator. The radiator is responsible for distributing heat throughout the home. Unfortunately, radiators in central heating systems can become covered with dirt, dust, and other debris over time. This can interfere with the radiator's ability to distribute the heat that is pumped into it. If the dirt gets mixed with the water pumping through the heating system's radiator, it can turn into a sludgy material. This sludge then gets pumped through the pipes of the home's central heating system and can damage the boiler's pump.

Cleaning a home heating system's radiator: How do you know if it is clogged?

A good way to find out if your heating system is building up sludge is to look for variations in hot spots and cold spots. The radiator should be hot all over. These cold spots indicate areas where the pipes may be blocked or backed up. Proper maintenance and regular cleaning of the central heating system's radiator is the best way to prevent this sludge build up from occurring.

Cleaning a home heating system's radiator: Disassembling and cleaning

To clean the radiator of your home's central heating system, first shut off the water supply to the radiator by closing the two valves on the pipes running from the boiler. After you are sure that no more water can enter the radiator, it is time to drain out the water that is already in it. Place a bucket or tray under the radiator drain valve. Now, loosen the nut that keeps the radiator valve shut and allow all of the water to drain out of the heating system's radiator. Once it is drained, you can remove the radiator from the system and take it outside to be cleaned. Turn it upside down in your backyard and spray inside of the radiator with a garden hose.

Cleaning a home heating system's radiator: Replacing the radiator

Once it is completely cleaned out, place the radiator back in your home heating system and re-open the valves to the boiler pipes. You will probably have to add some water to the boiler to replace what you drained out of the radiator. Using a radiator bleed key, let the air out of your radiator until you start to see water coming out of the bleed hole.