Deaerators and microbubble removal: clearing air you cannot see
Not all trapped air forms an obvious pocket you can bleed away. Fine microbubbles can stay suspended in circulating water for a long time, contributing to noise and slow internal corrosion without ever showing as a single obvious airlock.
A deaerator removing microbubbles from the system: the short technical version
A deaerator uses a chamber of fine mesh or a change in flow velocity to encourage these microbubbles to coalesce into larger bubbles that rise and vent automatically, working continuously rather than needing manual bleeding. It is particularly useful on systems that have had persistent, hard-to-pin-down gurgling noises after a flush or a refill, where conventional bleeding at radiators has not resolved the issue because the air is genuinely dispersed rather than pocketed.
Who should undertake the work
- Gas appliance work must be completed by a suitably qualified Gas Safe engineer
- Oil appliance work should be completed by a suitably qualified OFTEC technician
- Jamie Crawford Heating states both Gas Safe and OFTEC registration
A deaerator removing microbubbles from the system — the facts that change the job
- Microbubbles can persist in circulating water without forming an obvious pocket
- Continuous dissolved oxygen in the water contributes to ongoing internal corrosion
- A deaerator vents air automatically rather than needing manual bleeding
- It is most useful after a refill, flush or significant pipework alteration
- Persistent gurgling after normal bleeding is a common reason to consider fitting one
Questions we get asked
- How is this different from bleeding a radiator?
- Bleeding releases a visible trapped pocket at one point; a deaerator continuously removes fine, dispersed microbubbles you would never be able to bleed out manually.
- Is a deaerator worth fitting on every system?
- Not always — it suits systems with a genuine ongoing air problem rather than being a routine addition to every install.
Related help pages
- Cold-weather faultsCondensate pipework design and why freezing keeps recurring
- System contaminationMagnetite sludge: the black gunge behind most radiator faults
- Efficiency controlsWeather compensation: adjusting flow temperature to the outdoor climate
- Bathroom heatingHeated towel rails not getting hot on a wet central heating system
- Riello burner resetRiello RDB burner reset: the light on the control box explained
- Ideal rangeIdeal Vogue Max: the flagship Ideal combi
Services that cover this
Where we deal with this
Talk to us about a deaerator removing microbubbles from the system
Where this leaves you: Where conventional bleeding fails to quieten a system, dispersed microbubbles rather than a single pocket of air are often the real explanation.
Call Jamie Crawford Heating on 07516 118198 during the published weekday opening hours.
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