Power Flushing

bobster453

Hi all.

We have gas central heating and looking for power flushing and maybe radiator upgrades.

Bord Gais do not cover Tipperary for power flushing and quotes vary between 1800 and 2300 euro as cannot find anyone local.

I see Chadwicks hire out power flushing equipment and sell chemicals and magnetic gear etc. I was going to use a local plumber..wouldnt have a clue myself.

Anyone any experience of using the Chadwicks gear..does it do the job or are we better off biting the bullet and paying the price quoted.

Lenar3556

Does it definitely need to be done? Are you having particular issues?

Bear in mind there a lot of upselling of power flushing by firms who specialise in it. I’m not knocking it, it has a time and a place, but in some instances it isn’t terribly needed and doesn’t really offer value for money.

If there is evidence of sludge in radiators, an alternative may be to bring them outside and flush them out with a garden hose. Adding a couple of bottles of Adey MC5 to the boiler a week before will help loosen up the sludge.

This isn’t as comprehensive as power flushing, but may yield satisfactory results at a fraction of the cost, and with less risk of exposing leaks.

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122544073#Comment_122544073

Evidence of sludge in pipework as well as radiators..nearly like cement..a lot

championc

Consider getting a plumber to install a Fill & Flush valve like this. With the middle knob off, water can be sent in one side, all the way around the circuit, and back out the other side

Roger the cabin boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122544073#Comment_122544073

Second this approach.

Easy to do as well as a DIYer as well. YouTube is your friend here.

I don't think there is a better option for cleaning rads than removing them. Power flushing is really just for the pipes.

I'd remove them before power flushing anyway.

You'll be amazed at the crud you get out of the rads with a hose pipe and a bit of gentle tapping.

You'll be equally amazed at the difference clean rads make.

Roger the cabin boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122544414#Comment_122544414

Hmm.

Unless you know what you are doing, I'd be slow to get mains pressure on a heating system.

Get it wrong and you can blow seals out.

10-10-20

Any time I've hired equipment from the main hire-shops it has been the full-on pro tool. No reason to think that the power flusher available from HSS is any different.

championc

I think it's more a case of the know-how to actually connect one up.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545796#Comment_122545796

HSS provide a pretty good guide in that respect. They obviously want to prevent misuse leading to product damage.

https://www.hss.ie/imagshop/guides/og_956.pdf

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122544414#Comment_122544414

Plumber already did this.

Removed a lot of gunge but seemingly would have needed to increase pressure a lot more than was safe for the system.

He reckons some pipes are really clogged thence the reason for my initial query.

Thanks anyhow.

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545796#Comment_122545796

Lack of knowledge in my case.

Plumber would know how to do it,I just wanted to know if anyone had experience of using the hire ones.

Do they work as well as the ones used by the companies who do power flushing?

Lenar3556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122547068#Comment_122547068

Yes, they are professional grade machines. Sentinal and Camco.

But they aren’t going to offer any magic wand solution to hardened sludge. Fernox DX40 might help.

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122548914#Comment_122548914

Cheers

championc

The best initial solution is probably a thermal IR camera, to identify problem rads.

You can then use a rubber mallet to strategically hit them in the hope of dislodging any obstacles

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122550080#Comment_122550080

The problem rads are the ones that stay cold when the heating is on.

Strange thing is no system of them being cold.

1 cold 1 warm same room.

1 cold 1 warm in adjacent rooms.

Few cold downstairs few cold upstairs.

Silly yokes😆

Wearb

If you turn off the warm ones, do the previously cold ones heat up?

championc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551204#Comment_122551204

Then that's a balancing issue..

For a rad getting too hot, close the LOCK SHIELD valve down by a 1/2 a turn. Checkagain an hour or two later.

The ones getting hot are getting too much flow, while the others aren't getting enough (because the others are grabbing it)

Keep working around the house over a week, and you'll get it sorted.

Rads nearest to the boiler should only barely be open, while rads down the end of the line should be fully open. Ones in between will be progressively open more and more.

Just remember, it's the LOCK SHIELD valve that you adjust

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551950#Comment_122551950

Nope

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122552078#Comment_122552078

The only ones I ever opened were those with the +and- sign.

Are you saying its the ones at the opposite end of rad i should be adjusting for balancing?..Lockshield?

championc

Yes. These are the ones to control the volume of water moving through the rads. The + and - is just an On / Off with a thermostat inside.

The one sure way of knowing if it's balancing is by turning ALL rads off except these two. Then they have to heat up if connected and pipes clear.

I assume you have bled them

Wearb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122552826#Comment_122552826

Then it's unlikely to be a balancing issue.

Wearb

MOD NOTE.

I advise any poster against taking any discussion from a public thread to a private discussion. Doing that removes any oversight of incorrect advice.

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122553029#Comment_122553029

Plumber already bled and balanced them.

Defo sludge issue.