I got called out to investigate a problem heating system. It had not worked properly for nearly 6 months, since a new boiler and UFH had been installed. Apparently, no powerflush had been done on the old pipework and radiators BEFORE the new boiler went in but HomeServe (actually, a sub-contractor) had done one, afterwards on 15th October, wihout much improvement being achieved. In fact, the owner told me later that if anything, the system worked LESS well after the flush, with fewer rads getting hot.
The system was in poor shape: the boiler (Vaillant Ecotect 430) was objecting to lack of flow through it (Status 53), so the pump was the first thing to look at.
Yup - impeller full of lumps of black magnetite. The flush had apparently been carried out by removing a downstairs radiator and connecting the machine to the 15mm flow and return pipes. Given that parts of the pipework were 28mm, it doesn't take a genius to work out that the machine would be unlikely to create enough flow to shift all the sludge. It seems doubtful that the operators had made any attempt to isolate the pump and boiler and flush these parts separately.
Anyway - I advised the owner that she had probably been ripped off by incompetent work and she wrote to Homeserve.
The reply that came back is a masterpiece! In paragraph 1 it says:
Then, in para 3, it goes on:
So, according to Homeserve, the pump (and presumably the boiler too) are suddenly NOT part of the 'central heating system' and have to be powerflushed separately, as a ' new job'.
As I said, you couldn't make it up!!!
Anyone considering using Homeserve or its contractors to do powerflushing (or anything else!) needs to be EXTREMELY careful about what they request and to examine with a fine-tooth comb whatever service Homeserve decides it will provide. (Preferably before it's done and certainly before paying for it.)
And, by the way, IMHO, ANY heating installer or maintainer (however wet-behind-the-ears) who claimed that a pump or boiler was not part of a 'central heating system' would stand condemned as incompetent out of his own mouth! I wouldn't trust him to switch it on, let alone powerflush it.
I have not highlighted the very-real possibility that it was actually the powerflushing that disturbed sludge fragments that were not removed properly and got into the pump, then because it was not isolated, or later when the system was refilled. Then, the pump blocked again a few days later, with more lumps of magnetite! A magnetic filter (installed by me) has recovered even more magnetite, since.
The system was in poor shape: the boiler (Vaillant Ecotect 430) was objecting to lack of flow through it (Status 53), so the pump was the first thing to look at.
Yup - impeller full of lumps of black magnetite. The flush had apparently been carried out by removing a downstairs radiator and connecting the machine to the 15mm flow and return pipes. Given that parts of the pipework were 28mm, it doesn't take a genius to work out that the machine would be unlikely to create enough flow to shift all the sludge. It seems doubtful that the operators had made any attempt to isolate the pump and boiler and flush these parts separately.
Anyway - I advised the owner that she had probably been ripped off by incompetent work and she wrote to Homeserve.
The reply that came back is a masterpiece! In paragraph 1 it says:
Ignoring the somewhat-pompous verbosity, note the use of the term 'central heating system'.
Then, in para 3, it goes on:
....can take this matter no further. blah, blah.
So, according to Homeserve, the pump (and presumably the boiler too) are suddenly NOT part of the 'central heating system' and have to be powerflushed separately, as a ' new job'.
As I said, you couldn't make it up!!!
Anyone considering using Homeserve or its contractors to do powerflushing (or anything else!) needs to be EXTREMELY careful about what they request and to examine with a fine-tooth comb whatever service Homeserve decides it will provide. (Preferably before it's done and certainly before paying for it.)
And, by the way, IMHO, ANY heating installer or maintainer (however wet-behind-the-ears) who claimed that a pump or boiler was not part of a 'central heating system' would stand condemned as incompetent out of his own mouth! I wouldn't trust him to switch it on, let alone powerflush it.
I have not highlighted the very-real possibility that it was actually the powerflushing that disturbed sludge fragments that were not removed properly and got into the pump, then because it was not isolated, or later when the system was refilled. Then, the pump blocked again a few days later, with more lumps of magnetite! A magnetic filter (installed by me) has recovered even more magnetite, since.
