Powerflushing course - Fernox or Kamco, or somewhere else?

[a62vw]

Hi all,

I'm planning to do a powerflushing course reasonably near me so I'm looking at either the Fernox course (at Woking) or the Kamco course (at St Albans).

Any experiences of either one? Good / bad / so-so? Any suggestions of any other powerflushing courses around?

Cheers.

 

[SimonG]

Why?.

 

[albatross]

Fernox or Sentinel. Decent boiler manufacturers only recommend those two. Some boiler makers do flushing courses too, Worcester do. You might get more out of a boiler maker. One thing can lead to another.

 

[village idiot]

I hope you get advice on which course to attend.
If you ask my opinion, Powerflushing is a SCAM. Just my view, that's all. I have been a self employed plumber for 9 years, been doing Gas work and Installations for 4 years, and I have never had the need for a Powerflushing machine. I am yet to have a newly installed boiler fail.
Do it right is my motto. It always work.
I have been tempted to go to St Albans and pay the £50 (at the time). But decided against it.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Did the Kamco one (Free) cos I bought one of there machines got used a few times when I lived outside London, been back in the south west now since 2003, its been used once, its on a shelf at the back of the garage. people wont pay the costs of power flushing, unless your going to do it for free every time you change a boiler don't bother, its not a requirement (Yet)

 

[AWheating]

powerflushing is a requirement, if thats whats needed to meet the british standards.

the kamco course is quite good, i guess thet are all simular apart from the gear they want to suggest you buy.

 

[Ermintrude]

I'm building a custom flusher at moment. 300lpm and a mag on it too.

 

[jtsplumbing]

powerflushing is a requirement, if thats whats needed to meet the british standards.

the kamco course is quite good, i guess thet are all simular apart from the gear they want to suggest you buy.

Sorry but don't think that power-flushing is a requirement, think all it says is that system must be cleaned to meet BS don't think it states what method to use,

 

[Chalked]

I'm building a custom flusher at moment. 300lpm and a mag on it too.

Is this it???

still a work in progress! Looks mint though!

 

[Ermintrude]

No it's based on a thread I read on power-flushing website. Said all your off the shelf stuff was pap.

It's currently a pile of fittings, a powerful pump and a mark 1 magnaclense. Need to get a 3" to 1 nylon bush

 

[tamz]

Why?.

Mind reader :lol:

 

[AWheating]

Sorry but don't think that power-flushing is a requirement, think all it says is that system must be cleaned to meet BS don't think it states what method to use,

yes and what if you can only meet the british standard by powerflushing? then its a requirement?

The standards recommends 3 different methods of cleaning . powerflush, mains pressure, and gravity/circulating pump. Which one you use depends on alot of factors but a very heavily sludged system may only really become cleaned to meet the standard by powerflushing. especially from a cost point of view.

 

[Best]

I have a basic power flush machine which I have only used 3 times that I can remember.
Not impressed with it & not really surprised.
I have just called to remove a rad on an old heating job I thoroughly flushed out (using cleaning chemicals in system few weeks). The water was nice & clean when I let the rad run into a gulley - until the last which was pure black.
Unless I am using the wrong chemicals, then power flushing just removes the dirty water in pipes & system & leaves a lot of the sludge in bottom of rads. No magnetic filter would have made any difference as the dirt didn't move. I would have been better just to use a hose from mains or better still, - took each rad off & flushed them outside.

 

[tamz]

BS7593 only reccommends the appropriate method. Which one you choose is up to you following manu instructions and afaik there is not a manu out there that states a powerflush MUST be carried out. They refer you to 7593 then bump you on the warranty if you get it wrong :lol:

"A choice of cleansing methodologies is available. In most cases
involving major work, e.g. commissioning of new systems or boiler
change, this will necessitate a chemical cleanse, followed by a fresh
water flush, before an inhibitor is applied. For minor work, e.g. change
of a circulator pump or individual radiators, it might be sufficient to
isolate and change the component, but always check that the inhibitor
protection meets the manufacturer’s specification when
re-commissioning"

 

[albatross]

I'm building a custom flusher at moment. 300lpm and a mag on it too.

I'm not the only sad git! I built my own machine. It's a beast, better than any you can buy. Auto fill, immersion, magnetic and gauze filter, reversible flow, 10m clear hoses. I used a small yellow wheelie bin with a grundfos submersible pump. I might put some pics up another day.