The Dry, Hissing Sound of a Radiator Key Releasing Trapped Air

Dear Delyara, The living room radiator has been cold at the top for three weeks, making a strange, gurgling sound every time the heating kicks in. Tonight, I finally found the little brass key and turned the valve, listening to that sharp, hissing psssss-shhhh as the cold, trapped air escaped from the iron pipes. Then, a single drop of black, foul-smelling water hit my thumb, and the radiator instantly went hot all the way to the edge. It’s an incredible relief, both physically and mentally, to clear out a blockage that has been stopping the warmth from moving through your space. It made me wonder how much cold, stagnant air I’m currently holding inside my own head, simply because I’m too lazy to find the key and open the valve.