When they work properly, radiators quickly heat up and provide comfort throughout an entire home in just minutes. While you may be able to adjust your heat settings easily by adjusting the thermostat, few people venture down to the boiler room or make much of an attempt to troubleshoot faulty radiators on their home. There is a good reason your radiators aren't providing adequate heat, and here's how you can find out what to do about it.
Figuring Out Why Your Radiators Won't Heat Up
After turning your home heating system on, your radiators should soon become so hot that direct contact should be avoided. You may even hear the steam as it travels from the boiler, through the pipes and settles inside the radiators. If one of these telltale signs is missing, it shouldn't be difficult for you to determine the source of your radiator troubles.
A broken boiler may be the cause of your home heating problem. You can find out if you have a broken boiler by looking at the pilot light, making sure that the boiler is on, and checking fuel levels. If your boiler doesn't come on and your radiators remain cold despite turning the thermostat to its highest setting, you may need your boiler repaired or replaced.
Home Plumbing Pipe Repair And Replacement
Since heat moves from the boiler to the pipes before settling in the radiators, you may also need to check your home plumbing to find out why your radiators aren't getting heat. Turn on your heating system as your normally would, then systematically inspect the pipes in your home.
Starting with the pipes closest to your boiler, you can simply stand and listen for signs of activity, and physically inspect them for leaks, corrosion and gaps. Noisy pipes can be a sign that something is wrong, just as a lack of sound might point to a bigger issue. Rust, air bubbles, cracks, and internal blockages can prevent pipes from distributing heat in a home, so be sure to look at all your pipes carefully.
Troubleshooting Your Radiators
While radiators are pretty durable, some maintenance will be needed to ensure that they remain functional. Sludge buildup inside of your radiators may cause them to heat up slower, unevenly, or incompletely. Faulty radiator components can also have a negative effect on home heating.
Checking and possibly replacing your radiator hoses may solve the problem, while cleaning out your radiators will improve heating efficiency once your system is up and running once more. Start with the boiler, then work your way up to each individual radiator to find and fix the problem causing your home heating system to fail.
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