Hello,
What are your opinions on power flushing? I am about to have a new boiler fitted. Should I hire a power flush machine or is a hose pipe connected to the CH circuit just as good?
If I borrow a pressure washer, can that be put to any use? How?
Thanks, Stephen.
I had my heating system power flushed three years ago at the same time as having a new boiler installed and conversion to a sealed pressurised system. Before that the system hadn't been touched since the house was built 15 years previously and the radiators were probably 50 percent sludged up. After flushing, all the radiators heat evenly and the water still runs clear when I (very occasionally) drain off the air from the bathroom rad. IMO it was definitely well worth doing.
This depends on a number of factors.
1) How bad the existing system is. 2) What equipment you have to hand. 3) Whether your time is costing you, someone else or not.Every method has its strengths and weaknesses.
Power flush: equpiment is about £500 or hire for £50-$100. Fairly quick and can deal with fairly bad systems.
Using the mains filling point: Only if the mains is fairly good, fairly quick, cheap.
Removing each radiator in turn and pressure wash, or flush with good mains hose whilst vibrating the radiator if possible: Best method. Slowest method, (not economically possible for professionals). Allows you to discard radiator if it can't be rescued in the worst case.
Chemicals assist in the process, they are not a substitute for the flushing process.
I washed mine out with a hose a little while ago - making up an adaptor which allowed me to connect the hose directly to one of the inlets - and then to the other one - both the right way up and upside down so that the rad filled with water.
That seemed to work but - as Ed suggests - was somewhat time-consuming.
Ed: what's this about vibrating the radiator? - how? - at what frequency?
Also, how does one use a pressure washer for this application? I have one for patio cleaning etc., but didn't attempt to use it on the radiators since I had no way of directly connecting it, and wasn't convinced that just 'skirting' water through an inlet would do much good.
I have seen, (and it's on my wish list) a rubber block which can be put into an SDS (w. rotor stop) drill. The idea is to give the rad some diffuse but serious knocks whilst flushing.
Some fittings might be called for, there are some designs where this would enable a powerful jet to directly remove the sludge.
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