To begin balancing radiators, all the radiators and heated towel rails in your home must be completely cold. So, you'll need to switch your heating off and allow radiators to cool completely before starting. The first job to do is to go around all of your radiators and bleed them to ensure that there is absolutely no air in your heating system that could effect it as you balance the system. One of the most common reasons is that the system may not be distributing hot water evenly throughout your home. This can be due to a variety of factors, including the size of your property, the layout of your home, the position of your radiators and if you've had additional radiators added to your system. Now that you have fully balanced your heating system and it is working at peak efficiency it’s best to keep it this way.

When it comes to types of radiator supply there are essentially 2 different types; The single pipe central heating system and the 2 pipe central heating system. Single Pipe Central Heating System

Types of Heating System

The next task, now that we you know what different heating systems and valves there are, is to actually get started and balance your heating system. 1. Draw a Heating System and Radiator Plan

A basic explanation of what balancing involves is helped by an understanding of the way water behaves when flowing through any pipe-work system and what is meant by pressure drop. Balancing may be necessary any time radiators are fitted in an existing system or upon the installation of an entire heating system. If a system is not properly balanced it will result in one or more radiators not heating up properly, or not heating up at all. Locate the radiators bleed valve Usually located on the side of the radiator, at its top. If you're bleeding multiple radiators, start with the one on the ground floor furthest from your boiler. Misuse of Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) If TRVs have been fitted to radiators around your home, and not adjusted correctly, this can lead to system-balancing issues. With all your radiator valves open, it’s time to turn on your heating and make a note of the speed at which each of your radiators heat up.

How can you tell if your radiators are unbalanced? 

Next take a temperature reading of the pipework that leads to your manual or TRV valve, right next to the valve and note this down. Instead it’s best to try and do it through feel. Use your hand to feel the pipework and radiators and get them as close as possible.

It helps to enlist a few friends or the kids at this point so that you can keep an eye on how fast all the radiators warm up. You'll usually find those radiators nearest the boiler will be faster. Once you have achieved this your first radiator has now been balanced so all you now need to do is repeat this for your remaining radiators and you will then have a fully balanced system. Fit the radiator thermometers to the INLET and OUTLET pipes of the nearest radiator to the boiler. DO NOT fit them to the main flow and return pipes.The TRV is a fairly modern innovation and pretty much all modern heating systems will feature a TRV on every radiator. They are essentially a way to micro-manage the supply of hot water to each radiator.

Start by turning the valve a quarter turn on the first radiator on your list. The last radiator on your list's valve can then be fully opened. Depending on their placement on your list, the various radiator valves will need to be opened to varying degrees. As an example, the first radiator should be opened 25%, the second 30%, the third 40%, and so on until the last radiator is opened 100%. Try to distribute the opening percentages evenly across your property, taking into account the number of radiators you have. It does also help if you have recently managed to bleed your radiators, as your upcoming temperature readings will be more accurate. Here we provide a detailed step by step guide on how to balance your radiators. But first, what tools will you need? Tools You’ll Need to Balance a Radiator: Due to it’s inefficiency, for it to work correctly it needs to be perfectly balanced as if it’s not then you’ll find the first radiator is boiling and others will get colder the further away they are from the heat source. If you find that your individual radiators have cold spots, this could mean trapped air in the system and you'll need to bleed them. If your radiators are cold at the bottom, this could be caused by trapped sludge and you'll need to flush this out. How can you tell if your radiators are unbalanced?If some rooms in your home are warmer than others, this could be an indication that your central heating system is not balanced correctly. When a heating system is unbalanced, it can result in hot and cold spots throughout your home, which can be both uncomfortable and inefficient. Your can’t balance your system when it’s hot or even warn so ensure everything is stone cold before you start.