Troubleshooting: Cold Radiators

Instructions

It's not nice to come home to a cold house, especially if your heating is supposed to be working! If your radiators are playing up, we at Homeserve are going to help you sort them out.

Step 1:
It might sound obvious but first check that you have turned your heating on. If it's on and your radiators are still cold, your heating system could be full of a sludge stopping the circulation of hot water. To sort it out, your heating system needs to be thoroughly cleaned with heating sludge remover. Add some of this according to the manufacturers instructions into the feed and expansion cistern, probably found in your loft, and then a few days later, the system will need to be emptied and refilled. This can be a big job so if you haven't cleared out a heating system before it might be worth getting the professionals in.

Step 2:
If all your radiators except one are working, there are a couple of things you can do to get the cold one playing ball. First check both valves on the the sides of the radiator are open.

If this doesn't work, the valves may be blocked because of limescale. If this is the case, the radiator may need to be flushed out. See our film on how to flush out a radiator to pull this off with perfection.

Step 3:
This problem also tends to be caused by sludge in the system. Again, add some sludge remover and give the whole system a refill.

Step 4:
If the bottom of your radiator is heating up but not the top half, it's most likely that air is trapped in the system. It's simple enough to sort this out yourself by bleeding the radiators. See how to do this, in our film "How to bleed a radiator".

Step 5:
So the upstairs is cold as none of the radiators are working. This usually means that the feed and expansion cistern is empty. The cistern is usually found in the loft. Refil the cistern so that there is just enough water to make the ball float. Don't fill it up completely as there must be enough room for the water to expand. You don't want the cistern to overflow! With a full cistern, the upstairs radiators should start heating but it is a good idea to get a professional plumber in to work out why the cistern ran dry in the first place.

Step 6:
If it's chilly in the lounge and the rest of the downstairs, then it is a sure sign that your pump is broken or at least on its way out. Not a nice prospect and you definitely need a professional to help you sort it out. Job done.