Central Heating Sludge
Discussion
British Gas are going to replace my boiler's primary heat exchanger under the maintenance agreement - it's blocked. They serviced it and replaced a leaking secondary heat exchanger a couple of days ago, and shortly afterwards the thing stopped working. The boiler guy thinks that it's blocked with magnetite sludge, and showed me some of the crap that had come out while he was looking at it - not a huge amount, but black, particulate, and undoubtedly (I've tested it) magnetic.
He's suggested that if something isn't done to deal with the sludge, it's unlikely any further problems caused by it will be covered. He's suggested the £250 fitting of a small filter/trap containing a magnet - one of these or that and a powerflush of the system for 700 quid. He thinks that just fitting the filter may be sufficient.
PH opinion on just fitting the filter:
Is it necessary?
Is it sufficient?
How far over the odds is £250 quid to supply and fit a device which retails for £80+VAT?
If PH opinion is that flushing is necessary, what should it really cost?
He's suggested that if something isn't done to deal with the sludge, it's unlikely any further problems caused by it will be covered. He's suggested the £250 fitting of a small filter/trap containing a magnet - one of these or that and a powerflush of the system for 700 quid. He thinks that just fitting the filter may be sufficient.
PH opinion on just fitting the filter:
Is it necessary?
Is it sufficient?
How far over the odds is £250 quid to supply and fit a device which retails for £80+VAT?
If PH opinion is that flushing is necessary, what should it really cost?
I'd have a Powerflush done, but not by British Gas. £700 Seems a bit steep. Most companies charge £450 - £500.
£250 seems extremely expensive to fit a Magnetic Filter. I've fitted one to an exisiting system before in under an hour, that includes draining down, filling up and heat testing.
Get a trusted local company to do the work.
£250 seems extremely expensive to fit a Magnetic Filter. I've fitted one to an exisiting system before in under an hour, that includes draining down, filling up and heat testing.
Get a trusted local company to do the work.
Are you handy with a basic knowledge of plumbing and a few tools?
http://www.hss.com/g/51610/Central-Heating-Flusher...
There is very little skill involved in doing a powerflush. The cost is mainly just for a chap to stand and monitor the machine.
Alternatively flush with mains water until clear and re-new the inhibitor.
http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38902...
http://www.hss.com/g/51610/Central-Heating-Flusher...
There is very little skill involved in doing a powerflush. The cost is mainly just for a chap to stand and monitor the machine.
Alternatively flush with mains water until clear and re-new the inhibitor.
http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38902...
Edited by B17NNS on Tuesday 20th July 20:30
Ricky_M said:
I'd have a Powerflush done, but not by British Gas. £700 Seems a bit steep. Most companies charge £450 - £500.
£250 seems extremely expensive to fit a Magnetic Filter. I've fitted one to an exisiting system before in under an hour, that includes draining down, filling up and heat testing.
Get a trusted local company to do the work.
This ^^, BG are trying to lift your leg on this.£250 seems extremely expensive to fit a Magnetic Filter. I've fitted one to an exisiting system before in under an hour, that includes draining down, filling up and heat testing.
Get a trusted local company to do the work.
A powerflush is pretty much unnecessary, we had a sludge blockage in our system that needed me cutting into the pipework to locate and sort! We have sorted the whole mess with a normal hose and normal mains waterpressure.
We have;
filled the system repeatedly and drained it,
backfilled the radiators with the hose to push the rubbish out of them,
used a sludge clearing solution for a week,
drained and refilled and drained again
backflush with the hosepipe and fill.
This cured a kettling boiler and stopped the sludge from getting worse.
It was a lot of hassle with a couple of days with no hot water and a hot day with heating on to circulate the sludge remover but £700 is a lot of money and would have happily put up with a whole week of upheavel for that amount of cash!
We have;
filled the system repeatedly and drained it,
backfilled the radiators with the hose to push the rubbish out of them,
used a sludge clearing solution for a week,
drained and refilled and drained again
backflush with the hosepipe and fill.
This cured a kettling boiler and stopped the sludge from getting worse.
It was a lot of hassle with a couple of days with no hot water and a hot day with heating on to circulate the sludge remover but £700 is a lot of money and would have happily put up with a whole week of upheavel for that amount of cash!
I had the same problem 2 years ago now and got the magnet (magnatec?) through BG. I talked them down to something a lot more reasonable than £250 as they had to drain the boiler anyway to replace the 2ndry heat exchanger with was full of gunk anyway (think the part was about £90 retail at the time)
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