Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- As mornings and evenings turn cooler, heating technicians are urging households to run three quick checks before switching on their systems for the season, according to the Deutscher Verband Flüssiggas e.V. (German LPG Association).
Bleeding radiators improves heat distribution
Air trapped in radiators conducts heat worse than water, making units warm unevenly and less efficiently, says Markus Lau, technical expert at the association. To bleed a radiator, the heating system and circulation pump must first be switched off. Starting with the radiator closest to the boiler, a bleed key, cloth, and container are used to slowly open the valve counterclockwise until a hissing sound signals escaping air, followed by a steady stream of water. After closing the valve and drying it, the water pressure gauge should be checked -- pressure that's too low weakens heating performance and may require topping up water within the marked (often green) range.
A hydraulic balance fixes rooms that won't warm up
If a thermostat set to level 3 still doesn't bring a room to 20 degrees Celsius, cranking it higher rarely solves the problem, Lau notes. The likely cause is uneven water flow across the system. A hydraulic balance, performed by a licensed heating and plumbing technician, recalibrates each radiator to receive exactly the water volume it needs, reducing unnecessary energy use.
Outdated thermostat schedules waste energy at home
Shifts in work hours or evening routines since last winter mean old heating profiles on digital thermostats may no longer match actual schedules, potentially heating empty homes. Lau recommends reviewing programmed heating times, settings, and battery levels so temperatures automatically drop during absences and rise again before residents return. Manual thermostats older than roughly 15 years, or ones that no longer respond reliably, should be considered for replacement.