Hi,
I have just removed a radiator & noted that a small amount of black water came out (which later settled out into brown sand-like grains).
The majority of the system is fairly new (all radiators and boiler) but there is some old pipework. The boiler is a W-B combi (i.e. sealed). There are no leaks in the system.
I see that there are a huge number of chemical cleaner products and inhibitors. How can I tell which would be most suitable for my system?
TIA, Mark.
The first thing is that you need to thorughly flush out the sludge and solids.
There are two reasonable ways to do that:
- Drain system, remove radiators, take them outside and flush them with a mains hose or pressure washer. Flush water out at each radiator position.
- Power flush the system. This can be done by paying someone N x hundred ££s or by renting the equipment and DIYing it.
Afterwards, use a flushing agent manufactured either by Fernox or Sentinel. Run hot for the period recommended by the manufacturers.
Flush with plain water and finally add a corrosion inhibitor manufactured by one of the above.
Tests made by various people here have shown that these products do perform better than cheap generics from various places.
Where N is greatest for British Gas, who consider themselves to be "the gas board".
Snip
Just what is a power flushing machine? can a pressure washer be adapted to do the job?
Dave
It's a container with powerful pump, a set of valves and hoses and connectors for the system normally fit the pump position. Special flushing solution is used and is circulated through.
I've used a pressure washer outside to flush through radiators but not indoors
Not disagreeing that either of the above are the ideal solutions, but both are reasonably drastic in terms of hassle factor and/or cost. Given that the majority of the OP's system is pretty new I'd go for something like Sentinel X400 cleanser, and repeated fill/flush/drain cycles
followed by say Sentinel X100 inhibitor:
David
If nothing else, I'd say get something into the system asap as Lobster describes. Any brand would be better than none. You might wish or need to leave it a few weeks before you can tackle the full clean. (The system cleaners need to be left in for a while to work properly. And it might just not be convenient to do more at the moment.)
You might also care to consider why it was left without? I'd be checking anything the installer left - bills, etc. - which might claim to have done a power flush and filled with inhibitor. And any warranty provided.
Or maybe not
followed
David
The
point was that the system already has quite a bit of particulate sludge. Cleaner products alone just circulated won't do much with that. Rather they will end to free up some of the material allowing it to be circulated into the boiler. That is not wanted.
Therefore some form of mechanical removal is a really good idea.
One could just do the basic Sentinel deal as you suggest and it would at least prevent further corrosion, but I would be concerned about the particulate material getting into the boiler and other unwanted places.
Our system actually has Sentinel - and the last time I checked, the water looked pretty good. What the hell is in Purimachos' stuff?
I admit - "any brand" might not be true.
I'd hazard a guess there's a fair amount of dihydrogen monoxide in it :-)
Thanks for all the replies. I have looked at hiring a power flusher but the only one I can find is about £100 and it doesn't mention use in a sealed system.
Can anyone explain how the fernox or sentinal products are administered to a sealed system (with out a header tank)?
Fernox and sentinal seem to offer a big variety of products. What is the difference?
Yes it will work with a sealed system. £100 is a reasonable price.
In the end, this is like a maintenance arrangement and insurance policy.
I've described what I would do given what you have. I would be very confident, after this, having spent about £50 on chemicals plus some moving of radiators outside for cleaning, that I would have a very solid system that wlll last for 3 decades or more apart from moving parts and the boiler. I could complete this work in half a day and at my time cost of £50/hr, I will have spent £250 in cash and equivalents.
For convenience, I could have chosen the power flusher followed by the chemicals and spent £150 plus £200 in time .
I could have used the chemicals only and saved some work. Cost in materials £50, £50 in time, but sludge not removed.
I could have bought cheap generic chemicals for £20. You have seen the effect (or lack of efect) of these.
However....
The cost of replacing a complete system is in the £2000 - 4000 range.
Using the first option of £250 in cash and equivalents plus £20 every
2-3 years for inhibitor is a very good insurance policy.It;s a job that is worth doing properly.
How do you actually attach power flushers to the CH system? Do you need to provide a special port or something?
David
According to the instructions this one
Some of them have adapters to go onto a pump - you remove the pump head and fit the adaptor in its place.
Usually at the heat exchanger or boiler connections - basically wherever you find a convenient flow and return
BTW, I have a powerflush pump
Usually they hook into the pump position - at least on ones that I've seen.
Dodgy stuff that, see
What they're missing is that it can also cause, or is implicated in, various degrees of property damage including destruction of service pipework, fungal growths, damage to all types of timber and even structural damage to the fabric of buildings. And yet when concerned British citizens try to do something about it the Establishment suppresses their actions:
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