Desludging a heating system...

Mighty Bridie

I've been having difficulties with my boiler/radiators etc. Its gas, but I've been told that the system needs to be "desludged" and that it should cost about 700euro for the apartment, and then someone told me that their oil boiler and heating system cost them €80 to do the same job for a house...

Has anyone had this problem and had it treated?

Buford T Justice

Doin it at the moment.

As a DIY job, you will need to get a bottle of sludge remover from somewhere like heatmerchants. Drain the system a bit and throw the bottle of fluid into the header tank. Leave to de-sludge for about three weeks to clear the stuff out (during this time you should notice the rads getting warmer and warmer daily) after this, drain the system completely of water and re-fill. Get a bottle of sludge inhibitor from heatmerchants and add this to the header tank also, so it goes through the system and bob's your uncle.... so to speak

eoghan.geraghty

I think what you are looking for is a powerflush, expect to pay about 350 euro for this.

recycler1

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Doin it at the moment.

As a DIY job, you will need to get a bottle of sludge remover from somewhere like heatmerchants. Drain the system a bit and throw the bottle of fluid into the header tank. Leave to de-sludge for about three weeks to clear the stuff out (during this time you should notice the rads getting warmer and warmer daily) after this, drain the system completely of water and re-fill. Get a bottle of sludge inhibitor from heatmerchants and add this to the header tank also, so it goes through the system and bob's your uncle.... so to speak

I did this many years ago, I would not recommend it unless the OP is an experienced DIY'r. I grew up with plumbing and I'd still be wary about doing it in an apartment where the consequences of it going wrong could be far greater. I'd be looking foer a qualified plumber and I'd be checking for their insurance. (Leak, apartment block flooded......)

In a house, thinks to watch out for:

1. The system can gas up during the de-sludging process, forcing water up into the header tank. This can overflow unless theres a proper overflow pipe fitted. (In some cases the overflow is not fitted, or has never been checked properly. In other cases the tank overflow is routed into the water tank.)

2. If there's any corrosion in the system, you can get small leaks.
(Depending on the location of these they can be difficult to fix.)

Personally, if I was desludging a house I'd run with the sludge remover for 2-3 days and then flush out the system with mains pressure. (I'd connect a hose directly to the systems at a joint or valve.)

rugbyman

Mighty Bridie wrote: »

I've been having difficulties with my boiler/radiators etc. Its gas, but I've been told that the system needs to be "desludged" and that it should cost about 700euro for the apartment, and then someone told me that their oil boiler and heating system cost them €80 to do the same job for a house...

Has anyone had this problem and had it treated?

I had this done a few weeks ago. i did not get the bill yet but it took the chap about five hours to do with a machine like a big vacuum cleaner. quite sucessful. I do not expect a bill for more than 250 euro, maybe I will get a shock.
rugbyman

items

Fernox system cleaners, inhibitors, leak sealers is the product to go for. All instructions come with product, you can even buy a kit to inject cleaner / inhibitor into system @ rad bleed.

Be real careful cleaning, draining, re filling an apartment heating system, last thing anyone wants is water coming out ceiling. Best call a plumber as its not a costly job while using fernox bottled products. Power flush is expensive but only for excessive sludge build up in real old systems.