Brits warned against using one common heating household item | Personal Finance | Finance

As winter’s chill sets in, Britons are exploring various methods to efficiently warm their homes. While traditional heating systems like radiators remain popular, some households may prefer compact, standalone devices for heating individual rooms, such as portable heaters.

These can provide excellent short-term heat solutions. However, Citizens Advice has issued a warning against over-reliance on these devices for long-term use, stating that they are not an effective substitute for whole-house heating systems and are best suited for warming smaller spaces for shorter durations.

Furthermore, you are at a higher risk of overheating and even a house fire when it comes to leaving portable electric heaters on overnight. However, central heating helps minimise this risk due to the way it heats your home.

If you instead want to keep a single room properly heated because it’s getting more use, it’s instead advised to adjust your central heating setting with the thermostat and thermostatic radiator valve (TRV)

Understanding your Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV)

The numbers on a TRV typically correspond to specific room temperatures. For instance, in a range from 0 to 5, the number 5 equates to 30C.

Therefore, cranking up the TRV to its maximum setting could result in overheating the room. If you wish to thoroughly heat one room while maintaining a cooler temperature in others, you can adjust the settings individually.

The NHS recommends maintaining a minimum temperature of 18C in all regularly used rooms, particularly if occupants have health conditions that could worsen in cold conditions.

Inspecting your radiator

If you notice that your home isn’t warming up as much as anticipated with your central heating system, it might be time for some minor maintenance. Initially, you should determine if your radiators require bleeding. It’s not unusual to discover cold spots in a radiator, which can hinder its efficiency due to trapped air.

Luckily, bleeding a radiator is straightforward and can be done independently; all you need to do is:

• Turn off the heating for at least 30 minutes
• Place a towel or utensil to catch any water under the radiator
• Close off the TRV and lockshield valve on either side of the radiator by turning them clockwise (you may need a spanner for this)
• Disconnect the nut that connects to the radiator which will result in water leaking
• Lcoate the bleed valve at the top of the radiator and turn it anti-clockwise, resulting in a hissing noise
• Let some water flow into the trapped air then tighten the valve again
• Reopen the valves on either side to get everything going again