Flushing out radiators

[MerkyG]

Following on from a post I made a week or so ago about gurgling and air in my gas fired central heating system it was widely acknowledged that I had sludge and gunk in my radiators which needed individually taking off and cleaning out.

I've had cleanser in the system before and the water runs pretty clear when I drain it down but the water is black when I bleed the majority of the radiators so whats the best way to flush out the individual radiators when I take them off? Hose pipe on one end and make a hell of a mess and get very wet? Or block one end add an additive/cleaner, add water and shake?

I'm planning on doing this when things warm up abit so have a bit of time on my hands to mull it over! Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Mark

 

[wobbin]

I did mine by removing them, take them in the garden, tip them upside down, then blow a pressure washer in until the water starts running out of the other end.

Once this happened I up ended the rads to drain them. Repeat a couple of times until there's no more gunk coming out.

Caveat - if your rads are badly rusty inside this may be a bit harsh and a good way of finding leaks

Regards
Robin

 

[ChrisR]

Take em outside with a mate, half fill, close ends with your hand and invert several times. Tip water out.
Repeat until clear.
The parts which block are the bottom channel, and the vertical channels especially centre bottom.

If you run something llike Sentinel X400 for a few weeks it'll help

 

[g60bv]

if its pumping over into the header tank, check the 'H' or air seperator for blockages. - try the magnet test. get a good magnet. not off the fridge. and try to stick it to the copper pipes in the aircomp. if it is sticking to the pipes before the pump and inbetween where the cold feed and open vents are ( the pipes which run up to the loft) theres a good chance its just that. cut it out and remake it.
if by draining the water out and it was gernerally clean it may be a localised blockage. when you bleed rads it tends to pick up the muck sitting in rads and on the steel inside them. even known clean systems can have black water when bleeding.