With thoughts turning to autumn, I can't find any evidence I have added inhibitor to our CH since 2018.
So before we *need* the heating on, what's the consensus on when to add it ? Before using the heating at all. Or after the heating has run a couple of times. Or makes no odds ?
I dont think I have added any since 2002
Drain off a sample into a jar, add a clean iron nail and seal, leave for two days. If the nail hasn't gone rusty don't bother changing.
If you want to know if your inhibitor is adequate you could buy a Fernox Express Inhibitor Test kit which contains 50 test strips and is available on ebay for £30 or so.
Having found this out mabye I should get one myself!
For that amount of money to test one system it would be cheaper to buy a bottle of inhibitor and add it to the system.
Add it to the system now and just run the CH for 30 minutes to get it to circulate. If you have a system where the pump has been off for the past
6 months its also a good time to see if its still working. A friend who is a plumber has a busy time during CH switch on season with things like stuck pumps.
I program my system to run for two minutes once a week to “exercise” the pump and motorised valves.
Tim
I've just exercised mine this week. Though for the 10yr warranty, it does have an annual service. It was installed 2019 and still is on the original inhibitor. Used to fill with air when it was an unpressurised system. Since the pressurised system went in and fresh inhibitor it lost pressure and needed topping up twice a year for 2 years. But now it holds pressure between annual servicing.
FWIW I needed to drain down the system and found this inhibitor kit
OK, a fiver for a few bits of plastic, but worth it for me.
If you have a conventional F+E central heating system, you could feed the inhibitor via the F+E tank.
If you have a pressurised sealed system, hopefull you will have a magnaclean or similar, you could put the inhibitor in there?
S.
Depends very much on the age and how its been plumbed in I understand. Friends seem to shove it in when its circulating and slightly warm, but I bet there are as many different opinions as there are so called experts. I am all electric here, but occasionally get pestered to fit new storage heaters, but is there really any difference between old and new other than maybe solid state thermostats and the like? I did have cause a couple of years after fitting to tighten some of the screws in the switches since they were working a bit loose, but I had the same when the last house rewire was done and suspect this is inherent in the screw in to tighten connection system. Brian
Pressurised - yes, if I had I could :-)
Although on balance if the system is already partially drained this is actually easier, especially if the filter is awkward to get at.
Now is the best time if it's uninhibited
Little point to adding it in, unless you intend circulating it by running the system immediately after the addition.
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