Feel the heat this Winter: Bleeding Radiators in your home

What does Bleeding a Radiator mean?

Bleeding a radiator is releasing trapped air from the heating system in your house.

Air pockets in your heating system stop hot water from circulating properly. This means that it takes longer to warm your house up.

One thing that you can do to help keep your house warm and make sure your home is more energy efficient is to bleed your radiators.

When do you know your radiators need bleeding?

If you're not sure if you need to bleed your radiators there are a few thing you can keep an eye out for that will let you know when your radiators need some care and attention.

1. Cold spots at the top of the radiator when the bottom is warm

2. Gurgling or bubbling noises coming from the radiator

3. Uneven heating across rooms. Is your living room hot when your kitchen is cold?

You should also try and bleed your radiators every year usually in autumn or after any major plumbing or heating work.

How to bleed a radiator.

First, if you are a tenant who thinks they need their radiators bled. Please contact our customer services team or Robert Heath who are the main providers of our heating solutions across Wales.

Robert Heath: 0333 0141000

You can also WhatsApp Robert Heath on 07700 160200 and email directly to them on cs@robertheath.co.uk

FCHA Customer Services: 0292 0703758

You can also email us on customerservices@fcha.org.uk

If you are doing it on your own, make sure you have the following ready:

• Radiator bleed key (or a flathead screwdriver, check your radiators)

• Cloth

• Old Towel

• Container like a Tupperware to catch some water.

1 - Turn the heating on and check each of your radiators for any with cold patches. If they aren't cold then there is no need to bleed them.

2 - Turn your heating off and wait for the radiators to get cold again.

3 - Place an old towel on the floor and the container under the valve on your radiator.

4 - Use your radiator key (or screwdriver) to very slowly open the valve turning the key anti-clockwise. It might be tough to open which is where your cloth comes in handy.

5 - Open it very slightly so that you hear a hissing noise. That's the air escaping!

6 - Once the hissing stops and water starts pouring out, turn the valve clockwise to tighten.

7 - Run the cloth over the valve and check there is no water leaking.

Do this to all of the radiators you identified in step one. Once this is done your radiators will heat up a lot quicker!

You may need to check the pressure on your boiler. It should be between 1.0 and 1.5 bars and 2.0 bars when its on.

British Gas have a boiler pressure guide on their website that you can follow. https://www.britishgas.co.uk/heating/guides/boiler-pressure.html

Remember, if you're a tenant at FCHA then you can contact us or Robert Heath to get your radiators bled.

Robert Heath: 0333 0141000

You can also WhatsApp Robert Heath on 07700 160200 and email directly to them on cs@robertheath.co.uk

FCHA Customer Services: 0292 0703758

You can also email us on customerservices@fcha.org.uk

Deeds Not Words: 5 Years on

It's been five years since the launch of Deeds Not Words Pledge. Our action alongside the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (ARWAP) 2030 progressed the recruitment, partnerships, governance and awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at FCHA and across our partner organisations.

Despite the clear achievements, systemic racism continues to affect diverse communities across the country. Inequities in housing access, career progression, and lived experiences persist—impacting staff, tenants, and communities alike, as highlighted in Tai Pawb’s recent sector survey.

We remain committed to anti-racist action at FCHA. We, alongside many others are continuing to progress, amplify calls for justice, and ensure communities remain connected and empowered.

The pledge

1. Stand against racism and harmful narratives

We will create safe environments for staff, tenants and communities, through:

· Enforcing zero-tolerance policies and practices with trusted, safe reporting systems for racism and hate incidents.

· Preventing and challenging scapegoating of migrant communities with facts, human stories, community and staff engagement, education or other relevant approaches.

· Regularly training and educating board, colleagues and (if relevant) tenants on anti-racism, unconscious bias and any other relevant topics

2. Tackle racial disparities in housing conditions

We will work to ensure fair and equitable housing conditions for ethnic minority communities, through:

• Actively identifying and, where present, tackle racial disparities in any relevant areas, such as overcrowding, damp, mould, repairs, maintenance or homelessness ensuring prompt response to issues (stock holding organisations)

  
  

• Using our voice and influence to highlight and/or address racial disparities in any relevant areas such as overcrowding, damp, mould repairs, maintenance or homelessness (all organisations)

3. Advance fair representation and champion career progression

We will remove barriers for ethnic minority colleagues and open pathways to management and leadership, through:

• Applying inclusive and targeted approaches in recruitment to achieve change in hiring and reflect community diversity including positive action where possible

  
  

• Offering mentoring, sponsorship or other career development opportunities and pathways tailored to support progression and pipelines to management and leadership roles.

• Support and Equip HR teams with the knowledge to navigate immigration rules fairly and effectively, helping to remove barriers to employment for migrants.

4. Use data and engagement to drive racial equity and diversity

We will improve how we use data and engage with communities to inform anti-racist action, through:

• Closing data gaps and tracking ethnicity data across:

  • recruitment and all employee levels to ensure fair representation and progression (including preparing for ethnicity pay gap requirements)

  • housing conditions, repairs and maintenance (where relevant)

  • anti-racist, bias and other relevant training data

• Engaging, removing communication barriers and centering the lived experience and leadership of people affected by racism to shape service design and delivery

Our Shared Commitment

We recognise that dismantling racism requires more than strategy—it requires courage, honesty, and sustained commitment.

In the face of increasing resistance to EDI, our pledge is more than symbolic—it is a deliberate act of solidarity and accountability.

As signatories to Deeds Not Words 2.0, we commit to:

• Reporting transparently on our actions and progress each year.

• Applying top level oversight and scrutiny of our anti-racist commitments at board/committee level

• Defending and advance anti-racist work across the sector, even in a hostile climate.

• Collaborate across the housing sector to ensure every person in Wales can access a safe, decent and dignified home—free from racism.

Together, we commit to real change — not just in policy, but in people’s lived experiences.

To sign Up to this pledge: Please email me your name/organisation and signature:

E.g.

Donna Webb – Director of Corporate Services & Housing – FCHA

First Choice could help Tenants get on a social water tariff with Welsh Water

Are you an FCHA tenant and a Welsh Water Customer? First Choice could help you get on a social water tariff to save money.

WaterSure Tariff

From the 1st April 2025 you won’t spend more than £532.27 a year on the WaterSure tariff.

You can apply for WaterSure if:

a: Someone in your house has a health reason for using more water. Fore example, you need to wash more clothes or have more baths and showers.

OR

b: There are 3 or more children in your house who are under 19 years old who you can claim child benefit for.

You also need to receive at least one benefit to be on the WaterSure tariff.

To be on the WaterSure tariff, you need to have a water meter at home. If you don’t have a water meter then Welsh Water can fit one for you.

HelpU Tariff

From the 1st April 2025 you won’t spend more than £319.03 a year on the HelpU tariff. That’s around £26.50 a month.

Please not that you have to reapply for the HelpU tariff every 12 months. You do not have to do this with the WaterSure tariff.

You can apply for HelpU if:

a: You are a low income household

OR

b: Someone at home receives a means-tested benefit like Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

Choose the Tariff that suits you

WaterSure Tariff

If you think you should be on this tariff for your water please follow the link below. First Choice can do the full application for you.

WaterSure Tariff Application

HelpU Tariff

If you think you should be on this tariff for your water please contact Welsh Water directly by following the link below.

HelpU Tariff Application

Help is coming soon!

If you are with Severn Trent or Hafren Dyfrdwy for your water then help is coming your way soon! Please keep an eye out for information on your social tariffs