Plumbing Problems, DIY, Fitting Central Heating, No Frills Guides from Channel4.com/4Homes

Clicking, noisy radiators
We tend to forget our central heating even exists in the summer but this is just the time when air can build up, making radiators a lot less efficient. In fact, you can be paying up to 35 per cent more on your heating bill in the worst cases. Sometimes these air locks produce a clicking sound as they pass through the valves. Even if there’s no annoying noise, check that there are no cold spots at the top of your radiators.

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If so, you need to bleed the system to get rid of trapped air that forms these cold pockets. Radiators shouldn’t need frequent bleeding. If they do, air is getting in and you need a professional to check over the system.

How to bleed your radiators
Switch off your central heating and open up any thermostatic valves by turning them to the highest number on the dial. You’ll need a radiator key, bought for a few pence from a DIY store, and a towel to catch any drips. Start upstairs, as this is where most of the air will be trapped. Put the key over the square valve in the top end of the first radiator and turn anti-clockwise slowly.

Tony Lush, Courtesy of Focus DIY

If air is trapped in the radiator, you’ll hear a hissing sound as it escapes. As soon as water begins to drip out, close the valve. Give your heating a quick 15 minute blast on a high temperature setting and check there are no leaky valves.

Cold down below
If the problem is cold spots at the very bottom of a radiator you have a slightly more serious problem but still one worth trying to repair with a DIY remedy before calling in a heating engineer. The cool areas are a sign of rust and sludge build-up that's sitting in the bottom of the radiator. You may need to remove the radiator and flush it out with a hose but it’s worth trying a water treatment first. Check www.fernox.com for the correct product for your type of boiler.

Some hot, some cold?
This usually means your radiators aren’t properly balanced. The nearest radiators to the boiler are taking more than their share of the hot water from the system. This is really a job for a heating engineer.

Find out about six other common problems with home plumbing >>

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