What causes airlock in water pipes?

Air trapped in the bleed pipes of your car’s cooling system can make a perfectly healthy system run as if it were malfunctioning. These air pockets accumulate over time and can cause overheating by blocking the flow of coolant through the system. They also make the coolant level appear to be high, when in fact it's just air pushing the coolant level up. This is probably the best way to drain air from your cooling system and make sure your radiator is functioning properly. The following article will talk more about dealing with airlock in bleed pipes.

Here are the main points of the article:

• What is an airlock in bleed pipes?

• How do you cure the airlock in bleed pipes?

• What are the tips to remember when treating airlock in bleed pipes?

1.What is an airlock in bleed pipes?

An airlock indicates the issue that air is trapped in the system and blocks the bleed pipe. You need to drain the air from the bleed pipe in your car. Air pockets or hot spots are dangerous; They can overheat, crack or distort any part of the air trapped in the engine. Often, replacing coolant or servicing a vehicle's cooling system can lead to hot spots in the system. But on some models, air sometimes enters the system through the coolant pool. Hot spots are nothing more than air or bubbles in the vents of the cooling system, which prevent the coolant from taking heat away from these areas, causing the engine to overheat and start corroding. Depending on whether or not your particular system has exhaust screws, you can use one of three different methods to expel air from the bleed pipe. If you do not know if your system has screws, please consult your owner's manual, or check your vehicle service manual. You can buy a repair manual at many auto parts stores or online for your particular vehicle's make and model. However, you can find a copy of this manual in the resources section of your local public library.

2. How do you cure the airlock in bleed pipes using two jack stands?

Some cooling systems are harder to bleed than others, even if they provide more than one bleed valve. Try this method to clean up the remaining air. 

• Park on level ground. 

• Make sure the engine and radiator are cooled. 

• Use floor-to-ceiling jacks to top up the front of your car so the radiator neck is at a higher level than the engine. Then, jack the vehicle in place. 

• Block the rear wheel with a few blocks of wood. 

• Set the parking brake. 

• Remove the radiator cap and start the engine.

• Wait for engine to reach operating temperature. 

• When the engine reaches its operating temperature, wait a few seconds for the system to expel air. Then turn off the engine. 

• As the engine cools, add coolant to the radiator to bring the coolant to the correct level. Squeeze the radiator hose above to expel any trapped air. 

• Add coolant to the container if desired. 

• Test drive the vehicle.

3. What are the tips to remember when treating airlock in bleed pipes?

There are a few simple steps to bleeding air out of the bleed pipe. However, you may need to try more than one method, other than the method recommended by your automaker, to successfully exhaust. Follow either of the above methods each time you need to replace the coolant or add coolant to the system during the service interval, depending on your particular vehicle model. This will help you get out of hot spots and potentially seriously damage the engine.

Hope the article above can help you understand the cause of airlocks in bleed pipes better and know how to deal with them.