Depends on the design of strainer.
I found one with a large area of strainer because it's about 100mm high It has a red cap on the end to cover the bleed connection, making it look, to all intents and purposes like a phallus.
Doesn't work for rads with small vent plugs welded straight into the rad (rather than 1/2"BSP plugs) or where the 1/2" tapping goes into an immediate 90 degree elbow into the rad itself - tend to get liquid running out of the hole and spilling back down the rad. IME anyway.
For these, the effective solution is to drain this particular radiator (only) and to use one of the cartridge gel products.
I have found that trying to use these as suggested by the manufacturers
- i.e. against the system pressure - results in water pissing out where the nozzle is screwed into the radiator. Having empty space into which to inject and no pressure works well. Then remove the nozzle, refit vent plug part way and refill radiator.
Having been sufficiently interested to look at the instructions myself (as I think I might well take the plunge and do this to my own system over the summer - long overdue) I do find it a bit confusing.
I think I'd need to do this by removing the utility room rad and hooking the flusher up there (my pump being buried inside my system boiler). Would I then leave the boiler CH flow and return valves open for the whole flushing process (which surely is necessary for a "circuit"), or should they be closed off?
The instructions seem to be saying you flush each rad separately in situ, several times in both directions, by going round the house and closing off all other rads; is that about right? Still sounds pretty time-consuming and laborious. It also indicates having a tankfull of chemical-laced water which is used for the flushing - with 16 rads in my house apparently to be flushed separately, (with all the dead volume of pipework each time) isn't that going to be a massive amount of cleaner?! Or am I misunderstanding the process?
David
I think that you would have to look at the instructions with the machine, but I think I would want to avoid anything that involves the possibility of water contaminated with sludge solids passing through the boiler.
I believe that the point is that the cleaner is circulated around under pressure and filtered at the tank before circulating again. It is time consuming, which is why it's expensive to have it done professionally
But to answer your question differently, it was why I came up with the idea of removing radiators one at a time and then flushing with fresh water at each radiator valve one at a time as I went. This makes sure that anything in the pipes is always flushed to waste rather than radiator sludge being circulated around the system.
Since most of the grot collects in the radiators, it seemed better to disturb them as little as possible other than empting them and then to take them outside for a good flush through with a pressure washer.
I'll do it this way, thanks :-)
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