Powerflushed boiler

[pmulla]

I had my central heating system powerflushed in March. The boiler is a Potterton Puma 80e which is 10 years old The radiators have been in place for approx 15 years. Within the last 3 weeks the boiler has begun to make kettleing noises when the Hot water is turned on and then after 2/3 mins shuts down. The central heating works OK. I also recently had British Gas in as the radiators were getting hot when the hot water was on and the CH was off. The BG bloke changed the diverter valve and suggested a ppwerflush for the kettling problem as he said there was still gunge in the pipes. I am getting the the bloke back who did the powerflush but he can't make it for another week or so which means the problem will have been going on for a month before he can look at it. The feeling that I get from him is that he feels it's not his problem and that it is probably the "clean side" which I assume is where the water is coming in, correct me if I am wrong. Anybody have any point of view on this or am I being paranoid! Greatful for any suggestions/advice.

 

[Agile]

I have a house in Pumula but thats a different spelling.

The way the Puma works its not normally able to make kettling noises.

Power flushing unless specifically agreed otherwise is not designed to fix boiler faults and is typified to deal with dirt in the rads.

Most people doing power flushing would have little experience of dealing with cleaning boiler parts as replacement is the usual way of sorting that problem. I do teach my better trainees how to chemically clean boilers in situ but its messy and rarely done by anyone else but works out far cheaper for the client.

Without seeing your boiler I cannot know exactly where the problem lies but I do have an idea that it might be something quite simple but I dont guess at faults as the only way to be 100% correct is to be in front of the boiler to do tests on it.

Tony

 

[pmulla]

Thanks for the reply. I was led to believe that when you powerflushed a system you can also descale the boiler at the same time, and this seems like a scale problem, \i do live in a hard water area, and this hasn't happened prior to the flush, not when running water anyway.

 

[kevplumb]

Thanks for the reply. I was led to believe that when you powerflushed a system you can also descale the boiler at the same time, and this seems like a scale problem, \i do live in a hard water area, and this hasn't happened prior to the flush, not when running water anyway.

you where led "up the garden path"

so to speak

 

[Agile]

Power flushing is to get rid of metal oxides from the radiator system.

"Scale" in a boiler is caused by calcium compounds and needs completely different chemicals to treat it.

London does not have particularly hard water in terms of causing boiler problems.

As I said in my first reply, I dont think you boiler does have a scale problem .

Tony

 

[mysteryman]

I do not see the point in replacing parts that are merely partially blocked by metal oxides washed into a boiler from a dirty heating system. Boilers don't make sludge, radiators do, and older radiators can be worse. Many of the combi problems I come across can be cured by a powerflush - I do not say all problems, obviously.