[8jayma]

We have a hot water radiant heater that is 60 years old. It has never been bled. It is not a floor board kind or one that looks like some of the radiators I have seen. This kind is a Young and has a cover that has a vent look. When removing the covers, there are two nozzles, one on the left and one on the right side, lower bottom. Since there is not a company here that services them, we need to know how to bleed them. We don't want to open the wrong valve. We don't have a brochure so aren't quite sure what to do. Our heating bill is very high and we are trying to do what is right. We want to buy a new radiator but still need to find out how to bleed the system, hoping it will lower our bill. Please help us. Thank you, JMA

[hvac1000]

Unless you are having a problem with not getting heat I would leave well enough alone.

[EPMiller]

I'm not quite clear on the valve type, but assuming that they ARE the bleed valves, just turn them open until they hiss and let the air escape. Put a cup or something under to catch the water when it comes. If water comes out immediately, close it, it doesn't need bleeding. If the units get warm when the water is circulating they probably don't need much help.

You can't really hurt the system by opening a bleed valve unnecessarily unless you let a lot of water come out. Or unless you can't get it closed tight, ;^) then they need to be replaced. Just bleeding the system won't really reduce your heating costs. That is a factor of how fast your house loses the heat you put into it. Vacuuming out the fins so the air can flow freely through the heat units will help some. JUST DON'T BEND THE FINS. The efficiency of your furnace and the distribution piping is a bigger factor. So is the insulation of your house.