Micro Bore

[creationsundoing]

Could somebody please tell me the advantages of using Micro Bore for Central Heating as it was recommended to me, but not explained well?



Thank you for you help in advance.

 

[JPC]

for the customer, none, infact if not looked after properly with inhibitor its easier to have sludge etc cause blockages in microbore than in 15mm pipework

for the installer, its faster & easier to fit, i suppose

 

[muggles]

Agreed - from your point of view as a customer it'll make very little difference, although it might cost you a bit less to have installed. It's very much a case of you get what you pay for though - as has been mentioned you're much more likely to get clogged pipes with microbore. You also get slower heatup times as the water can't flow into the rads as quickly.

 

[namsag]

Existing microbore propely cleaned out no prob , but vast majority of people will use 22mm and 15mm . Microbore is second best to these in regards speed of heat up of rads not heard of anyone installing microbore(8mm) for years

 

[cozzmic]

Nothing wrong with micro bore if installed correctly, well insulated, properly cleaned and treated will work for years no problem. My own system was in the house when I bought it and is now 34 years old with just the rads, boiler and UVHWC upgraded. Had to be, did you know that AGA made a fan flue wall mounted gas boiler with electronic ignition 34 years ago I didn't and it worked ok till I changed it.

 

[Softus]

for the customer, none

If this were true then it wouldn't exist.

infact if not looked after properly with inhibitor its easier to have sludge etc cause blockages in microbore than in 15mm pipework

I disagree. Do you have any statistics, or are you just making it up as you go along?

for the installer, its faster & easier to fit, i suppose

That would make it cheaper for the customer then.

You also get slower heatup times as the water can't flow into the rads as quickly.

Faster heat up times, actually, in some installations. The flow rate is not reduced by much, but the water velocity is faster, and the lower heat capacity of the pipework results in lower latency and more heat being transferred to the rads.

 

[namsag]

Faster and easier install time does not always mean cheaper for customer as materials cost may be far higher ie 15mm socket 10p 8mm socket 50p . Same as plastic fittings costing far more than copper ones

 

[JPC]

JPC wrote:
for the customer, none

If this were true then it wouldn't exist.

It does not exist for the end user but for installers.

Quote:
infact if not looked after properly with inhibitor its easier to have sludge etc cause blockages in microbore than in 15mm pipework

I disagree. Do you have any statistics, or are you just making it up as you go along?

It stands to reason, a smaller bore will block faster than a larger bore.

Quote:
for the installer, its faster & easier to fit, i suppose

That would make it cheaper for the customer then.

Not always, but grant you, yes i suppose, sometimes.

Softus, bored, picky and argumentative today ?

 

[longdogs]

Softus bored,picky and argumentative today ?

Groundhog day?

 

[BigBurner]

Nothing wrong with micro bore if installed correctly, well insulated, properly cleaned and treated will work for years no problem. My own system was in the house when I bought it and is now 34 years old with just the rads, boiler and UVHWC upgraded. Had to be, did you know that AGA made a fan flue wall mounted gas boiler with electronic ignition 34 years ago I didn't and it worked ok till I changed it.

I was talking to engineers from a Liverpool based company. The norm there is microbore and has been for near 40 years. The area is soft water and on sealed systems they have found no problems without inhibitor. Inhibitor can rot seals.

They can't understand why all the country does not use microbore when using sealed systems. When meeting southern heating men, they found they just don't understand microbore and can't calculate or size a system. They are afraid of the unknown. To them it is second nature.

Problems with scaled up plate heat exchangers is not a problem on combis. They have little problems on the primary side either, as sealed systems do not cause corrosion. Inhibitor can rot seals.

They said they have had problems with combi exchanges for open vent boilers, when the open vented systems not cleaned out before exchange.

They say copper cylinders last and last as corrosion is not such a problem.

They were mystified why people in hard water areas do not fit stainless steel cylinders as standard.

So, getting a water softener may be the answer.

 

[Softus]

It does not exist for the end user but for installers.

You seem to be claiming that the customer does not gain from a system being faster or cheaper for an installer to install. Or did you mean something else?

It stands to reason, a smaller bore will block faster than a larger bore.

Very well - please state that reason.

Softus, bored, picky and argumentative today ?

Yes, no, yes, no, respectively.

I'd be even less bored to hear more of your views on microbore, since you clearly know nothing about it.

 

[gasmataz]

Why does everything have to be proven with a fact or figure. Surely experience counts for something. Personally dont like MB mainifolds have tendenvy to get clogged and i cant tell you how many houses ive gone to and they say that rad has never worked and it's always a kinked pipe and you cant powerflush and i hate removing every rad for a manual clean.

 

[JPC]

Softus, you seem quite a knowledgeable chap, but some times your a pain in the arse, and you would not behave/talk like this person to person.
The length and depth of your, sometimes, pointless arguments with other posters makes me think you have nothing better to do. This is just my opinion.

I can't be bothered to answer you, its not that important to me to try and convince you, one way or another.

Best wishes

Jamie

 

[Softus]

...you would not behave/talk like this person to person.

That's an incorrect presumption on your part.

The length and depth of your, sometimes, pointless arguments with other posters makes me think you have nothing better to do. This is just my opinion.

And I would argue ad infinitum to defend your right to freely express that opinion.

I can't be bothered to answer you, its not that important to me to try and convince you, one way or another.

Best wishes

Jamie

OK. Ditto.