Power flushing incident

[house holder]

Hi All

I am not a plumber or heating engineer, I'm just after your advice or opinions.

I told a gas safe plumber, my heating wasn't working, its micro bore and hasn't been right for ages and he explained a power flush would sort it out, he turned up at lunch time spent 3 1/2 hours taking a radiator off and putting his machine in its place and left it running while he fumbled about with the other rads etc, only to proclaim that it hadn't worked and I should now pay him over £500 for the privelidge, oh and he also had to purchase a litre of fluid to do it with that apparently is enormously expensive.

Is it normal to expect to be paid for this level of service? and why is it so expensive?. I haven't had the invoice yet, he wanted cash after he'd finished but I didn't have cash, so he is going to invoice me next week.

Any advice or oppinions would be appreciated. If its the normal practice I don't mind paying but I can't help feeling ripped off.

 

[dancinplumba]

if he said a flush would sort it, and it hasn't,
then you should'nt pay
imho

 

[southcoastboile]

Powerflushing can never be guaranteed, I have come across blockages were the pipes were blocked solid and the only way to shift it would have been with a hammer and chisel. He should realy have explained that it is not a guaranteed fix but I do see were he is comming from, also see your point, you have paid for a repair and it is still not working. dificult one. I don't think it is fair to refuse to pay anything but thats my opinion.

 

[ecowarm]

The only chance to powerflush a micro bore system correctly is from the pump unions. And in my opinion it takes at least a day.
How can you flush the whole system through 8 or 10mm pipe work? I would refuse to pay utill its done correctly. A litre of sludge remover is not that expensive

 

[Mike Jackson]

I agree. Powerflushing microbore from a radiator is a pointless exercise.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Welcome to the forum , unfortunately unlike other people visiting this forum you have been taking for a ride ! Please fill free to speak to your plumber to solve the issue . I went to a property to do a power flush and drained system down and had the flushing going all from start 3h and then I realised it was a single pipe system , I spoke to customer and explain that I have to finnish as there is no way I could flush it out ! I charged customer for changing all the valves and a labour cost to do and customer happy agree to pay . I personally could not charge any one if job it is not done ! if you speak to your plumber I am sure you could solve the issue !

 

[REDSAW]

is a power flush classed as a repair or service though?
if it were a boiler and you went to repair it and found to be non repairable, do you still charge for your time?.

where does the poster live would give an indication of pricing and chemicals, £40 retail?

 

[johnnyplumb]

if you have had problems with the system then he should have explained to you that a powerflush may not work. on some microbore systems, i have added a cleanser to the system 3wks or so before doing the powerflush, you can also double the dose of chemicals when doing the powerflush. you dont have twin entry radiator valves by any chance ?

 

[Leo21]

Surely the guy deserves some form of payment, although I understand your predicament. Didn't you agree a price before starting?

 

[E4gas]

Surely the guy deserves some form of payment, although I understand your predicament. Didn't you agree a price before starting?

I would not pay him too much, as ecowarm said power flushing from a rad is a lazy and wrong way to do it , get him back to connect to pump nuts for proper job ..

 

[PowerFlusher2]

I would never POWERflush a microbore system! There are other and better ways of flushing a microbore system.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

 

[cdodds2004]

i always state a powerflush as a service and not guaranteed to fix the problem, whats the other options re-pipe? most people pay there money and take there chance, although i would of connected on at the pump and spent more than 3hours flushing it imo

 

[Leo21]

Fair comment. I've got fernox flusher, good piece of kit but if the airing cupboards upstairs it be hell of a messy job. The hoses don't reach that far and I can't remember the last time I had a pair of pump valves that actually turned off.

 

[cdodds2004]

yea agree with that statement, they never hold for me either, last week a pair held then when i re-opened the valve leaked from the gland and i couldnt stop it so needed to change that valve.grrrr

thank god for bungs

 

[xpertbert]

I am not a big fan of power flushing micro bore as you can just move the blockage deeper or somewhere else. But that is just my opinion.

 

[Leo21]

I agree. I tell the customers all this and more. Might not work, may find leaks etc. Yet still that's what bg suggested blah blah blah. What are you going to do, turn the work down. Not in this climate.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

the older sentinel ferroquest was excellent at flushing minibore systems it got all the muck out there was a downside though it would eat a aluminum boiler

 

[ecowarm]

Fair comment. I've got fernox flusher, good piece of kit but if the airing cupboards upstairs it be hell of a messy job. The hoses don't reach that far and I can't remember the last time I had a pair of pump valves that actually turned off.

I have a fernox P/F and I have extra long hoses now after I was flushing a system outside the airing cupboard and the son of the customer (in his 20's) decieded to undo the hose clamp!!!!!!! You can get a lot of black sludge along the hall and down the stairs before you manage to turn it off!!!! I now have the machine outside on all jobs

 

[Leo21]

How much were the hoses? And how do you get them on the van there already huge!

 

[ecowarm]

They were about £60 and they and the powerflusher only go in the van when needed
#

Edit; not from fernox, from a local hose supplier

 

[SafeGasInstall]

They were about £60 and they and the powerflusher only go in the van when needed
#

Edit; not from fernox, from a local hose supplier

i have nortstrom power flush will the hose fit mine ? can i get two of them long ones , can you get me there number pls

 

[ecowarm]

Stan PM your number and I will get the number tomorrow, they do hoses in all sizes. They are 3/4" high temp, high pressure and I just swapped the hose connectors from the original hoses

 

[cdodds2004]

thats a impressive set up, were did you get the fernox tester from? and whats the best results you have had from dirty to clean?

 

[ecowarm]

thats a impressive set up, were did you get the fernox tester from? and whats the best results you have had from dirty to clean?

Er... from fernox lol.

I always test the cold water at the kitchen sink and always get within 10% of that in line with fernox instructions.

 

[cdodds2004]

lol i no fernox sell them direct, was just wondering if any merchants had them off the shelf, as they dont have them round my way not that i have seen. i just flush till the magna clean i have fitted to machine isnt picking anymore rubbish then give system another good flush through with clean water, i need to get one of them testers though.