Are your kids' bedrooms lacking the fun factor? Many of us feel like it's impossible to design interesting, unique bedrooms for our kids without spending a fortune, but that's not true. By getting crafty to re-purpose old pieces of furniture, using inexpensive toys as novel decorations, and keeping a lookout for bargains, you can create a room your child will treasure for years to come. I hope this site gives you loads of great ideas for your next bedroom project — whether it's for a bouncing new baby, a boisterous toddler or a teen that's grown out of their current décor.
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Radiator Not Working? How to Bleed Your Radiators and Restore Order to Your Heating System
by Robert Mitchelle
If you turn the central heating on after it hasn't been in use for a few months over the summer only to find that one or more of your radiators are not heating up, it could be that there are pockets of air trapped within the pipes. Fortunately, this problem can usually be easily solved without anyone having to summon a heating-services engineer. Here's how to do this fix.
How to bleed your radiators
The first thing to do is to turn on the heating and allow all the radiators around your house to warm up. Wait for half an hour or so until the radiators are at maximum temperature.
Now take a tour of all the radiators in your home to see which ones are not working correctly. To do this, carefully feel each radiator, working from the bottom to the top to see whether the unit is heated evenly. If you find any cool spots, typically along the top of the radiator, it probably has an air pocket trapped inside it.
Make a note of which radiators need bleeding and then turn your central heating system off.
Allow the radiators to cool down before you begin the process of bleeding them. To bleed the radiators you will need a radiator key that can be purchased from any DIY or hardware store. To use the key, locate the square section in the middle of each radiator valve and insert the key into it.
Before you begin to bleed the radiator, it's a good idea to put a cloth underneath the valve to catch any water that drips out.
Now turn the radiator key slowly in an anticlockwise direction. You will hear a hissing sound indicating that air is escaping from the radiator.
Once all the air has been released, the valve will begin to drip water. Stop the leak by turning the radiator key clockwise and closing the valve.
Repeat this process on every radiator that was not heating up properly.
When you've finished bleeding the radiators, check the pressure gauge on your boiler. You may find that you need to adjust the boiler if the pressure has dropped too low. If the pressure is normal, simply turn the heating back on and allow it to run for half an hour or so. Check your radiators to make sure that there are no more cold spots on the units.
Cold spots on your radiators usually indicate that the units need bleeding. If your heating system is still not working properly after the radiators have been bled, it's a good idea to seek the advice of a qualified heating engineer.
