Bleed for two minutes

As the temperature dropped, so did the number of days before the government turned on the indoor heat. The official turn-on date was November 1. Leading up to the fateful day we had to prepare each of our radiators. Somehow the radiators in Harbin just worked, we didn't have to prepare anything. So it was all new to us.

Based on my last experience with the radiators, I was understandably nervous, but since the temps were only going to continue south, I bucked up, towel in hand, and faced my fears.

Steps to prep the radiators:

1. Read comments online and overhear conversations from friends that they had heat inside.
2. Check our radiators only to find no heat.
3. Read a Facebook comment about a friend knowing the secret to unlock the heat.
4. Call said friend to learn the secret of bleeding the radiators.
5. Proceed to face my fears of going near the pressure release valve that once gave me a free shower.
6. Prepare a bucket to catch water and a towel far to small to actually clean up anything more than a few drops of water.
7. Cautiously open the valve to release any trapped air that prevented the hot water from entering the radiators.
8. Allow 2 minutes of bleeding.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with all 5 radiators in our house.
10. Wait until the official turn-on date.
11. Repeat steps 6-9 to release additional trapped air.
12. Enjoy the toasty warmth of indoor heat!