Air lock clearing in Exeter
Professional air lock clearing services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60
Typical Duration
20-30 mins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Air lock cleared from your heating system so radiators heat properly again. Quick 20-minute job that gets your heating back to normal - no call-out fee, just honest pricing.
Cold Radiators? Probably an Air Lock
Here's the situation: your boiler's running, pipes are hot, but one or more radiators are stone cold. Or maybe they're warm at the bottom, cold at the top. That's an air lock - trapped air stopping the hot water circulating properly.
The good news? It's a quick fix. Usually 20-30 minutes and your heating's working properly again.
Why This Needs Doing Properly
You could try bleeding radiators yourself. But here's the thing:
| ✅ Done Right | ❌ Done Wrong |
|---|---|
| Bleed in correct order (furthest first) | Random order - moves air, doesn't remove it |
| Check system pressure during process | Drop pressure too low, create more problems |
| Test all radiators after | Think you're done, miss half the issue |
| Balance system if needed | Leave some rooms hotter than others |
What The Job Involves
🔧 Quick Diagnosis
- Which radiators affected
- Where the air lock is
- Whether pressure is also an issue
📦 The Fix
- Bleed radiators in proper sequence
- Top up system pressure if needed
- Check boiler operating correctly
- Test all radiators heating evenly
💡 You Get
- All radiators heating properly
- Balanced system (no more one hot room, one cold)
- Boiler pressure set correctly
Pricing
| Issue | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Standard air lock (1-3 rads) | 20-30 mins | £60 |
Fixed price - includes bleeding radiators, pressure top-up, and system check.
💡 Pro tip: If this happens every year at the start of heating season, your system probably needs a proper service. I can advise while I'm there.
Why Choose Us for Air lock clearing in Exeter?
Radiators heating properly within 30 minutes
No call-out charge - just £60 fixed price
Heating balanced across all rooms
Same-day service usually available
What to Expect
Step 1: Quick Assessment
I check which radiators aren't working, feel the pipes, and look at your boiler pressure. Usually tells me exactly what's needed.
Step 2: Clear The Lock
Bleed radiators in the right order - starting furthest from the boiler. The air needs somewhere to go, so there's a method to it.
Step 3: Pressure Check & Test
Top up system pressure if needed, fire up the heating, and make sure every radiator is getting properly hot. Job done.
🔧 DIY Tips
Want to have a go yourself? Here's the process:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Radiator key (few quid from any DIY shop)
- Old towel or cloth
- Small container for drips
- Pressure gauge reading from boiler (take a photo)
📐 The bleeding process
- Turn heating on full, wait 10 minutes
- Start with the radiator furthest from the boiler
- Turn the bleed valve anti-clockwise (usually top corner of radiator)
- Listen for hissing - that's the air escaping
- When water starts dribbling out, close the valve
- Move to next furthest radiator
- Repeat for all radiators
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Doing it with heating off (air won't move)
- Opening valve too much (water everywhere)
- Forgetting to check boiler pressure after
- Bleeding in wrong order (just moves the problem)
💡 Pro trick: Check your boiler pressure before AND after. If it drops below 1 bar after bleeding, you'll need to repressurise the system using the filling loop under your boiler.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🎨 Having multiple issues? While I'm there for the air lock, I can also check that dripping tap, wobbly radiator, or creaking floorboard. Makes sense to batch small jobs together.
Older house? Exeter's full of Victorian and Edwardian properties with heating systems that have... character. Air locks are just part of life with older systems. Once I've shown you the process, you might be confident doing it yourself next time.
Keep happening? If you're getting air locks regularly (more than once a year), there's probably an underlying issue - could be a tiny leak somewhere, could be the system needs flushing. I'll let you know if I spot anything while I'm there.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have an air lock?
Classic signs: one or more radiators cold at the top but warm at the bottom, or completely cold while the boiler's running. Sometimes you'll hear gurgling noises from the radiators or pipes. If your heating worked fine then suddenly stopped, it's often an air lock.
Is this the same as bleeding a radiator?
Similar principle but not always the same fix. Bleeding releases air from individual radiators. An air lock is trapped air in the pipes blocking flow - sometimes needs a different approach to shift it. I'll diagnose which you've got and sort it either way.
Will you need to drain the system?
No, not for a simple air lock. I can usually clear them by bleeding radiators in the right order and using the system pressure to push the air out. Quick job, no mess, heating back on within the hour.
What causes air locks in the first place?
Usually happens after you've had the heating off for summer, after repairs, or if the system pressure dropped for any reason. Older systems in Exeter's period properties are more prone to them. Once cleared, they might not come back for years.
My boiler pressure is low - is that related?
Probably yes. Low pressure often goes hand-in-hand with air locks. I'll check your pressure while I'm there and top it up if needed - no extra charge for that, it takes 2 minutes.
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