Powerflush and microbore...
Discussion
I've been given a recommendation that I my central heating system needs a powerflush (verbal from a plumber friend of a friend) when I mentioned that the central heating hot water is being pumped into my relief / overflow (?) tank in my loft.
I'd already tried the different flow-rates available on my pump but none of them help thus I can understand that the water would take this (easier) route if the pipes were obstructed.
I started looking into powerflushing and specifically microbore systems and to be honest; I'm struggling to find a consistent recommendation as to whether or not it's advisable or possible. For added complication, my central heating system is a actually a mix of microbore and normal pipes (more microbore than normal) due to the previous owners adding/replacing more radiators over time.
What's peoples thoughts on what I should do?
(ps in case it makes it even more complicated, the boiler's a baxi back boiler but I have no plans to do anything to that until it dies. Stuff efficiently, I prefer reliability
I'd already tried the different flow-rates available on my pump but none of them help thus I can understand that the water would take this (easier) route if the pipes were obstructed.
I started looking into powerflushing and specifically microbore systems and to be honest; I'm struggling to find a consistent recommendation as to whether or not it's advisable or possible. For added complication, my central heating system is a actually a mix of microbore and normal pipes (more microbore than normal) due to the previous owners adding/replacing more radiators over time.
What's peoples thoughts on what I should do?
(ps in case it makes it even more complicated, the boiler's a baxi back boiler but I have no plans to do anything to that until it dies. Stuff efficiently, I prefer reliability
You can powerflush microbore systems, you just need to connect the machine up to 22mm pipework ideally, 15mm will also suffice.
Although, I'd be tempted to stick some chemical in there first. I use a product called Cal-chem 3in1. It acts as a cleaner, silencer and inhibitor all in one. You don't need to flush it out afterwards. I used it on an oil boiler that kept going to over heat lockout, that was 6 weeks ago and it hasn't done it since.
Although, I'd be tempted to stick some chemical in there first. I use a product called Cal-chem 3in1. It acts as a cleaner, silencer and inhibitor all in one. You don't need to flush it out afterwards. I used it on an oil boiler that kept going to over heat lockout, that was 6 weeks ago and it hasn't done it since.
http://www.adey.com/installers/filters/magnacleans...
All the advice I received including the BG engineer as opposed to the salesman was that powerflush and microbore isn't a good idea or particularly effective.
We had drained the system when fitting TRVs and when we had a new boiler went for Magnacleanse. The amount of crap which came out of the system was amazing and is much improved.
All the advice I received including the BG engineer as opposed to the salesman was that powerflush and microbore isn't a good idea or particularly effective.
We had drained the system when fitting TRVs and when we had a new boiler went for Magnacleanse. The amount of crap which came out of the system was amazing and is much improved.
g7jtk said:
What material is the pipe?
Coppper.FiF said:
http://www.adey.com/installers/filters/magnacleans...
All the advice I received including the BG engineer as opposed to the salesman was that powerflush and microbore isn't a good idea or particularly effective.
We had drained the system when fitting TRVs and when we had a new boiler went for Magnacleanse. The amount of crap which came out of the system was amazing and is much improved.
Yeah the more I look into it, the more I see advice against powerflushing microbore. So how does Magnacleanse work/get installed?All the advice I received including the BG engineer as opposed to the salesman was that powerflush and microbore isn't a good idea or particularly effective.
We had drained the system when fitting TRVs and when we had a new boiler went for Magnacleanse. The amount of crap which came out of the system was amazing and is much improved.
Our 1970s house had microbore installed as new. The ground floor pipes embedded in the slab or screed. Over the years, the system has blocked up, and although power flushing did no harm, it didn't clear the system either. The whole system had to be re-plumbed due to the inaccessibility of the pipes.
We tried all of the techniques mentioned above to no avail. Over the past few years, nearly all the houses in the estate have been re-plumbed now.
We tried all of the techniques mentioned above to no avail. Over the past few years, nearly all the houses in the estate have been re-plumbed now.
Firstly I am not a plumber heating engineer, albeit boilers I have dealt with are a tad bigger, think Drax Power station and the like.
Assuming you've done all you can like the previous suggestions, i.e. putting flushing agent in, getting the system balanced considering the mixture of pipes.
With a back boiler maybe there's room but we had a magnaclean unit as part of a like for like garage wall hung boiler replacement
The magnaclean is essentially a magnetic filter goes into the return feed to the boiler for permanent use and is cleaned out every service.
Once that was in and the boiler working again the magnacleanse unit which is essentially a much bigger version of the same thing is connected into the circuit bypassing the magnaclean via clear pipes. A strong flushing agent is put into the circuit.
The boiler heating circuit is run all the radiators turned off bar one. That radiator is vibrated, either there is a tool they use but belting it with a rubber hammer works. All the crap silting the radiator up goes into suspension pumped round the circuit and gets filtered out.
In our case even though we had drained the system twice a few months before as part of other work and given it all a bit of a flush the water going into the unit was black ink going in and clear coming out. Had to keep taking out the filters to wash them.
Do each radiator in turn. Once that's done the system and the flushing agent is cleared out and fresh water and new inhibitor put in and the small magnaclean put back into the circuit.
Ours is all copper microbore and whilst we had a new boiler at the time and all this was part of the install the whole system is much better. No cold spots, much better balanced, pump on a lower setting, no overpumping.
Problem you may have is where to fit the unit into a back boiler arrangement.
As before would try all the obvious things first, flushing compound, do a proper balancing first. Mixture of 22mm and microbore doesn't sound helpful.
Google Adey and magnaclean
Assuming you've done all you can like the previous suggestions, i.e. putting flushing agent in, getting the system balanced considering the mixture of pipes.
With a back boiler maybe there's room but we had a magnaclean unit as part of a like for like garage wall hung boiler replacement
The magnaclean is essentially a magnetic filter goes into the return feed to the boiler for permanent use and is cleaned out every service.
Once that was in and the boiler working again the magnacleanse unit which is essentially a much bigger version of the same thing is connected into the circuit bypassing the magnaclean via clear pipes. A strong flushing agent is put into the circuit.
The boiler heating circuit is run all the radiators turned off bar one. That radiator is vibrated, either there is a tool they use but belting it with a rubber hammer works. All the crap silting the radiator up goes into suspension pumped round the circuit and gets filtered out.
In our case even though we had drained the system twice a few months before as part of other work and given it all a bit of a flush the water going into the unit was black ink going in and clear coming out. Had to keep taking out the filters to wash them.
Do each radiator in turn. Once that's done the system and the flushing agent is cleared out and fresh water and new inhibitor put in and the small magnaclean put back into the circuit.
Ours is all copper microbore and whilst we had a new boiler at the time and all this was part of the install the whole system is much better. No cold spots, much better balanced, pump on a lower setting, no overpumping.
Problem you may have is where to fit the unit into a back boiler arrangement.
As before would try all the obvious things first, flushing compound, do a proper balancing first. Mixture of 22mm and microbore doesn't sound helpful.
Google Adey and magnaclean
I had a Magnaclean installed on our 1 year old heating system that had been flushed out and treated with inhibitor when new.
After 10 mins running we took out the magnet on the Magnacleam, an unbelievable amount of muck & crap
. Cleaned it and repeated several times until it was clean.
Now just clean it annually. Am told motorised valve and pump less likely to fail without all the crap, more importantly the water jacket in the boiler less likely to suffer hotspots due to silt accumulations causing local overheating and failure
After 10 mins running we took out the magnet on the Magnacleam, an unbelievable amount of muck & crap
. Cleaned it and repeated several times until it was clean.
Now just clean it annually. Am told motorised valve and pump less likely to fail without all the crap, more importantly the water jacket in the boiler less likely to suffer hotspots due to silt accumulations causing local overheating and failure
If the radiator still gets some heat fit some sludge buster cleanser and run it for a few weeks. Flush it out once the system is working as it should and add inhibitor to help stop the sludge from comming back.
If there is no circulation through the radiator, remove it, take it outside and flush with a hose pipe. While the rad is off open each valve in turn to flush the dirt from the pipe. Should be OK once the water is running clean.
A pressure pump can be used if the water won't run at all or a net curtain wire to rod the pipe. Take great care and precautions when doing this bit.
Better still get a Plumber to do it for you. After all that is what we are for. 😇
If there is no circulation through the radiator, remove it, take it outside and flush with a hose pipe. While the rad is off open each valve in turn to flush the dirt from the pipe. Should be OK once the water is running clean.
A pressure pump can be used if the water won't run at all or a net curtain wire to rod the pipe. Take great care and precautions when doing this bit.
Better still get a Plumber to do it for you. After all that is what we are for. 😇
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