Greater Cleveland Heating and Cooling Blog

3 Reasons To Bleed Your Hot Water Heating System

If you own a hydronic heating system, you may need to bleed your hot water system to avoid common problems that can occur. Below are three important reasons why you should bleed your equipment.

Bleeding your hot water system will help you:

• Avoid system failure. Regularly bleeding your system is important because it clears the system out. And it’s part of the required maintenance routine for a hot water system. If you don’t bleed the system, it will eventually lead to a system failure, because unwanted air will inhibit the efficiency of the system and impede its operations.
• Reduce unwanted noises. When air gets caught in the system’s lines, you will begin to hear strange noises from the system’s pipes. Air in the system can also lead to uneven heating, or no heat.
• Ensure more even heating throughout the system. With clear lines, water will move efficiently through the pipes and properly distribute heat to every room in your home.

Regular maintenance is optimal, because it ensures that the system is operating well and will help avoid a system breakdown during cold weather. Once your system is working well, it is often better to time the maintenance tune-up toward the end of the heating season.  This is when the system is working the hardest and problems are easier to identify. 

It’s easy to bleed your hot water system anytime—simply have your technician show you the process and where to do it.  Once all the air is out of your system, you generally don't have to keep bleeding it unless something happens or the sealed water system needs to be opened up again for a repair.

If you don’t feel confident in your knowledge and skill to bleed a system, contact an HVAC expert to do the job. In fact, you should have an expert service the system, which includes bleeding it, each year to keep it in good operating condition. Talk to your HVAC technician about the recommended bleeding practices for your hot water system.

Need help with hot water system maintenance? Contact us at P.K. Wadsworth Heating & Cooling today.

Photo Credit: francesmls