Hi...
I recently removed the heat exchanger from our somewhat aged Glow Worm Fuel Saver 40B MK2 central heating boiler, after getting banging and whooshing noises from the boiler itself. I poured in a bottle of neat descaler and left for fifteen minutes, and watched much bubbling and gurgling for that period of time coming from both feed/return pipes of the exchanger - with hose pipe spraying the area incase of weak acid eruption... Quite a bit of 'rubbish' was eventually hosed from the exchanger, and the jetwash dislodged quite a bit more. But the flow rate through the exchanger was much reduced still, about seventy percent I'd guess, considering the power of the jet washer.
I re-connected the exchanger and filled and bled the system and started up, but the boiler cut out after much similar noises from its wareabouts!!! I'm now considering removing the heat exchanger again and using using Spirit of Salts from the plumbers merchants (Hydrochloric Acid) to hopefully better clear the exchanger pipework, but am aware of the danger of using such powerful acids without proper safety setups...
Can anyone suggest some safe ways of using the acid salts, or techniques or dilutions prior to commencing a thorough cleaning of the heat exchanger!?!
I've also recently completely drained the system several times, and at last have clean water draining very fast from the six drain points on the ground floor.
Any help or tips would be gratefully appreciated...
Tony D
I recently removed the heat exchanger from our somewhat aged Glow Worm Fuel Saver 40B MK2 central heating boiler, after getting banging and whooshing noises from the boiler itself. I poured in a bottle of neat descaler and left for fifteen minutes, and watched much bubbling and gurgling for that period of time coming from both feed/return pipes of the exchanger - with hose pipe spraying the area incase of weak acid eruption... Quite a bit of 'rubbish' was eventually hosed from the exchanger, and the jetwash dislodged quite a bit more. But the flow rate through the exchanger was much reduced still, about seventy percent I'd guess, considering the power of the jet washer.
I re-connected the exchanger and filled and bled the system and started up, but the boiler cut out after much similar noises from its wareabouts!!! I'm now considering removing the heat exchanger again and using using Spirit of Salts from the plumbers merchants (Hydrochloric Acid) to hopefully better clear the exchanger pipework, but am aware of the danger of using such powerful acids without proper safety setups...
Can anyone suggest some safe ways of using the acid salts, or techniques or dilutions prior to commencing a thorough cleaning of the heat exchanger!?!
I've also recently completely drained the system several times, and at last have clean water draining very fast from the six drain points on the ground floor.
Any help or tips would be gratefully appreciated...
Tony D