Should I be worried?

[avaratz]

Hi all,

Appreciate any advice, I have an issue of some sort of grainy blue material clogging up the hot water lines. Because I have mixer taps everywhere, that means all of my taps eventually get clogged and I have to remove and clean them.

I know its isolated to hot water because only the hot water side of the shower mixer bars gets clogged.

My system is comprised of (sorry, I'm a complete amateur so I may be laying this out wrong) a Worcester Greenstar Ri boiler, with a Magnaclean Micro attached (not sure if relevant). Upstairs is a (around 10 years old) Megaflo unvented hot water cylinder. Until recently, the boiler was not supplying hot water to the tank, which I had repaired in around March. Prior to that, the tank was being heated by the electric element for about a year (I didn't know it was broken to be honest, this is all new stuff to me, so that's why it was broken for a year ). Adding that in case the fact that pipes may have been lying dormant for months may make any difference.

I really appreciate any advice. I'll get someone in if I need to, just don't want to waste anyone's time.

I've attached a few photos. No idea what this stuff is.

 

[Welder]

First things first. What type of hot water system do you have? Do you have tanks in the loft? Are they open?

 

[avaratz]

First things first. What type of hot water system do you have? Do you have tanks in the loft? Are they open?

So, from what I can see:

1. Worcester Greenstar Ri (installed around 2016)

which heats the radiators and also feeds

2. Heatrae Sadia Megaflo Unvented Indirect Cylinder (installed around 2008)

3. Peripheral stuff like a Magnaclean Micro attached direct to the boiler, which I assume is for the radiators. Also the pressure expansion tank attached in the airing cupboard to the Megaflo.

 

[Ben-gee]

Looks like raspberry slush puppy to me

 

[avaratz]

So, from what I can see:

1. Worcester Greenstar Ri (installed around 2016)

which heats the radiators and also feeds

2. Heatrae Sadia Megaflo Unvented Indirect Cylinder (installed around 2008)

3. Peripheral stuff like a Magnaclean Micro attached direct to the boiler, which I assume is for the radiators. Also the pressure expansion tank attached in the airing cupboard to the Megaflo.

Sorry, forgot to add - no additional tanks. That's everything, according to my knowledge. We don't have a loft so I'm 90% sure there isn't anything hidden. The stuff reminds me of a water softener salt so I've hunted for one of those with no luck.

 

[avaratz]

Looks like raspberry slush puppy to me

Haven't tasted it yet, but I might be driven to do that out of desperation I'll report back if I do, unless I'm in A&E!!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Do you live in a hard water area could be limescale

 

[avaratz]

Do you live in a hard water area could be limescale

I live in Kent, so yes. Does limescale often appear like this?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I live in Kent, so yes. Does limescale often appear like this?

Yea builds over time the blue bit I bet there's a blue flow restrictor behind the scale

I would test the hardness of your water to see if you need a softener

 

[Ben-gee]

Are they solid crystals or a gel/slush? It looks like Copper Sulphate crystals to me.