I am interested in hearing everyones opinion of the best way to clean out heating systems. I am not overly convinced with powerflushing, although this may be down to the machine I have been borrowing when doing it. I know people suggest taking all the radiators off, but then how do you know you are clearing all the pipework?
Discuss what is your favourite method for cleaning heating systems? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net
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Barry98
One of my mates just been on the kamco training course, he was told leave rads in place and turn off one by one. Then one big drain down and flush with clean water
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Mike Jackson
Little people in scuba gear with scrubbing brushes.
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diamondgas
Before the invention of the 'machine' we would use mains water pressure ... ! Totally against water regs, heyhoo!!! 
Drain system and then turn off all the rad bleeds, Isolate f&r at boiler .. mains on return, hose on flow to an outside drain (reverse circulation)..then regulate the mains flow through one rad at a time until the hose water was pretty clear! Reason we dropped the water in the rads, sludge settled in the bottom of a radiator and with an air trap top of the rad it was more likely the water would push out the crud along the bottom
Drain system and then turn off all the rad bleeds, Isolate f&r at boiler .. mains on return, hose on flow to an outside drain (reverse circulation)..then regulate the mains flow through one rad at a time until the hose water was pretty clear! Reason we dropped the water in the rads, sludge settled in the bottom of a radiator and with an air trap top of the rad it was more likely the water would push out the crud along the bottom
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Barry98
Easy money in my opinion British gas £700 , we follow in £400Employee wages £ 150My holiday fund £250Yea yea taxes etc I know but you get the gist
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diamondgas
When I worked for BG just after the privatisation, mid 80's I think, we set up teams who specialized in trouble shooting system design issue, all the bumff to do with cold spots, pin-holing, pumping over etc! It was costing BG a fortune in replacing rads and re-piping systems! The idea became so successful in saving money, it spread across the business. At around that time Sentinel were developing a machine to do the job! I've still got the prototype in my loft, might just pop up and take a pickie
A pal and myself spent many an hour with Gary from Sentinel tweaking and changing the concept...! Then some bright spark read the terms and conditions of the BG contract, decided the work we were doing was chargeable and from there the rest is history ... sell, sell, sell!!! The machines now work much better than any cold water flush when coupled with the magna filters IMHO! Still the old way works when you haven't the technology at hand
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diamondgas
As promissed
It's like a mini machine Reversing valve for flow direction, a 'dump' valve to empty the 'bucket' and the mains filling valve with stopcock stuck in the middle It's design principle was to use centrifugal force to push the heavier sediment to the outside whilst recirculating the 'cleaner' water from the centre!
It's like a mini machine
Reversing valve for flow direction, a 'dump' valve to empty the 'bucket' and the mains filling valve with stopcock stuck in the middle It's design principle was to use centrifugal force to push the heavier sediment to the outside whilst recirculating the 'cleaner' water from the centre!
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Barry98
Get it on eBay , antique
very cool diamondgas. I have just brought myself a kamco cf40 after doing there training course and realising the benifits of having my own machine. Will be flushing out my own heating in the next week or so as a practice. i already have a few jobs lined up which should more or less pay for the outlay of the machine. I have also agreed with a few mates in the trade i will either flush jobs for them or hire them my machine which should also give me an income from it.
i have been using a magnacleanse (borrowed)recently to flush before boiler changes which is quite good but no as good as a powerflush i feel the kamco filter is better than the magnacleanse so will probably get the kamco filter and the magnaclean adaptor or tf1 adaptor depending on which magnetic filter i decide to stick with in the future.
does anybody have a list of boilers that dont like reverse flow through them?? i know some boilers you should not reverse the powerflushers flow on when connecting onto the internal pump.
i have been using a magnacleanse (borrowed)recently to flush before boiler changes which is quite good but no as good as a powerflush i feel the kamco filter is better than the magnacleanse so will probably get the kamco filter and the magnaclean adaptor or tf1 adaptor depending on which magnetic filter i decide to stick with in the future.
does anybody have a list of boilers that dont like reverse flow through them?? i know some boilers you should not reverse the powerflushers flow on when connecting onto the internal pump.
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diamondgas
I don't know how the training goes AWheating but Honestly I'd advise running hot or cold, whatever through a drained off rad so the water runs initially along the bottom only!
Once the flow is established, fill it through the bleed as the machine is pumping through to cover the whole radiator surface, that way you get the most crud out the rad IMHO !!
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Billy Bob Bob
my favourite method ,tried power flushing not effective enough IMHO,i put chemicals in a fortnight before tell the custards to run the system hard for 2 weeks go back remove every rad and run cold main pressure through until clean,then adaptors and hoses on to the pipework flush cold water through via the filling loop until clean,then when its all back together,quality inhibitor that gets re-dosed every 3 years,this coupled with a filter will give the best outcome to longevity of the waterworks i have never had a problem with sludge re occurring on any job i have put in and i still look after most of them
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