How To Clean Yellowed Radiators?
When your radiators are ageing and becoming discoloured you still need to clean them for improved hygiene and indoor air quality.
Cleaning a radiator can be a time-consuming chore that is not straight forward due to the lack of access!
To clean a radiator where dust has accumulated over a period of time you will require a radiator brush, or is there another option?
See Blog – How To Clean House Radiators
See Blog – How To Remove Central Heating Radiators To Clean Behind
You will need to push deep down into the fins of the radiator to remove the build-up of dust, which will then be pushed out of the bottom of the radiator onto the floor, recirculating the dust back into the atmosphere of your home!
See Blog – How To Clean Dust From Inside Radiators
Unfortunately, even when you have taken the time and effort to clean your radiator it can become very frustrating even though you know it is clean, it still looks grubby if it has discoloured!
Using chemically based cleaning products is not recommended, as when the surface of the radiator becomes hot it can circulate the fumes back into the atmosphere.
Using a damp cloth should be sufficient enough to maintain hygiene within your home when the bulk of dust has been removed!
How do I clean my yellow radiator?
The simple answer is you can’t!
Once a radiator starts turning yellow, this is a sure sign that the pigment has come out of the enamel and that the radiator is coming to the end of its life!
Many people seem to assume to overcome this problem is to paint the radiator to achieve a white finish, which may in time start cracking and again become discoloured, as you can see from the pictures below.
Think about your Motor Car? We all like to update our vehicles for better performance, so why should we not all consider the performance of our heating system for maximum efficiency?
See Blog – The Importance Of Maintaining Your Heating System
Another common issue with older radiators is corrosion on the inside. When water runs through the boiler, pipework and radiators it can react with the metal which over time, can cause small flakes of metal to break off into the water.
The small flakes of metal tend to come to rest in the bottoms of radiators, causing radiator sludge, radiator cold patches, lukewarm radiators and generally higher heating costs!
If you are looking to replace the boiler, it is also advised to upgrade the radiators if they are 15 years or older.
The modern radiator is now more compact than its aged predecessor, and can emit just as much heat, if not much more with less energy!
Over the past 15 years, radiator technology has hugely improved which means that our homes are becoming much more energy-efficient, so this may now be a good time to start considering changing your old radiators for newer ones!
New Style Radiator
As you can see from the pictures below the modern radiator has cleaner lines and can be more heat efficient, but still lacks access for cleaning and decorating behind!
Not anymore if you choose Rotarad Radiator Access Kits!
Old Style Radiator
The picture below shows a radiator where the enamel is now peeling away and becoming discoloured and the back of the radiator where it shows a lack of cleaning!
Conclusion
If and when you either decide or choose to upgrade/replace your radiators, this will be the ideal time and opportunity to consider making your replacement radiators instantly accessible to achieve superior cleaning and hygiene standards, by having full access to thoroughly deep clean your radiators ongoing into the future.
By choosing Rotarad conversion kits you will also appreciate the benefit when you need to decorate the wall behind your radiator, by the quality of the finish you can achieve without the need to remove or disconnect your heating system.
