The UK’s cold snap is expected to continue for the rest of the week, and no one wants to be chilly in their home when the temperature is expected to drop to below zero outside. 

If your radiator is taking ages to heat up or feels cold in certain spots, don't worry. Most radiator problems can be easily fixed without having to call a plumber. 

John, an expert from Best Heating, has suggested that radiators that are not heating up properly may need to be balanced, which is the easy task of adjusting the flow of water to ensure they are heating up evenly. 

He said: “If you have hot and cold spots on some of your radiators or find that some radiators get warm whilst others do not, then your radiators need balancing.

“Now don’t worry because it’s a pretty simple DIY job, and in this step-by-step guide on how to balance radiators, we’re going to give you all of the information you’ll need on how to get your radiators all fired up and back to their best.”

How to balance a radiator

All you need to do is turn off your heating and let the radiators cool down until they are completely cold. Look for the valves on your radiator and open each one in your home by turning them anti-clockwise. 

Once every valve has been opened, turn the heating back on and take note of the problem radiators and which radiators heat up the quickest.

Next, turn the heating back off again and wait for the radiators to cool down completely. Doing this helps balance the flow of water through the heating system. 

Turn the heating back on. Go to the radiator that began to heat up first. Then turn the lockshield valve clockwise until the radiator is closed and then open it again by a quarter of a turn. 

When the radiator has warmed up, use a digital thermometer to take note of the temperature of the pipes leading to one of the valves. 

Next, take a temperature reading of the valve on the other side of the radiator. Then slowly open the lockshield valve until there is a 12C difference between the temperature and the temperature reading when you last checked the valve.

Check the rest of the radiators in your home and adjust the valves. Radiators that heat up slowly will need their valves open slightly more to increase the flow of water. 

John said: “Generally, the further the radiator is from the boiler, the more the lockshield valve will have to be opened. In order to balance your radiators correctly, you may have to have the lockshield valve opened fully at the final radiator.” 

After each adjustment, let your heating run for a while and then check the temperature again. Repeat until all the radiators are balanced and there are no cold spots on any of them.

Once you balance your radiator, more water will flow to the colder parts of the radiator and also restrict the flow in areas where your radiator feels too hot so they will work properly. 

If balancing your radiator did not work and it feels cold at the top, then you likely need to bleed your radiator, which is simply letting any trapped air out of the valve. 

Alternatively, if your radiator still feels cold at the bottom, there may be a build-up of debris, and you should consider learning how to clean your radiator instead.