Calchem for me. 
Always carry a couple of bottles.
Always carry a couple of bottles.
Advice needed to power flush a home
- Thread starter ey143
- Start date
I use whatever's marked for the system, if nothing apparent then I use Instinct, made by Scalemaster. They do a fair amount of R&D work with the major pump/boiler manufacturers.
Only reason I know all this because I had 2 easi-heat pump failures back to back a couple of years ago, the engineer arrivewd, swapped out the pumps then did a fernox water test, came back as there wasn't any inhibitor in the system and it would all be charged to me!! Of course I disputed .... apparently Fernox/Sentinel don't use the same inhibiting agents - Molys and hydrates against scalemasters Nitrates - so their test didn't find it. Went to Scalemaster did a couple of test kits, came back well inhibited, sent to Vokera ... Oh right .. sorry about that. The funniest part of it, was Scalemaster were working with Vokera/Grundfos at the time when they were experiencing higher numbers of the newer UPM3 pump bearing failures.
Only reason I know all this because I had 2 easi-heat pump failures back to back a couple of years ago, the engineer arrivewd, swapped out the pumps then did a fernox water test, came back as there wasn't any inhibitor in the system and it would all be charged to me!! Of course I disputed .... apparently Fernox/Sentinel don't use the same inhibiting agents - Molys and hydrates against scalemasters Nitrates - so their test didn't find it. Went to Scalemaster did a couple of test kits, came back well inhibited, sent to Vokera ... Oh right .. sorry about that. The funniest part of it, was Scalemaster were working with Vokera/Grundfos at the time when they were experiencing higher numbers of the newer UPM3 pump bearing failures.
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Deleted member 294929
What do you mean "others dont"?
If I had a bottle of X100 and had other inhibitor from another brand already in the system, whilst it may be better to stick with the same brand, is there any danger to using and topping up with a different brand?
On an unrelated question, if I need to have my plate heat exchanger changed, will the gas engineer have to drain the whole system or I guess there must be some isolation valves on the boiler or near it which will allow him to change it without draining the system>
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Deleted member 294929
If the boiler is my installation then I stick to Sentinel..
If its not my boiler I will use other brands.
I've cleared Plate heat exchangers with a power flush.
Some I've had to take out.
On one occasion I cleared by isolating the magnet a filled the system while draining. Opened hot water and it cleared the plate ..
Not sure if that's totally the right thing but it worked
So here is my dilemma. The powerflush has cleaned out the plate heat exchanger and all is good, hot water etc.
However, the original insurance company that covers my boiler under cover has agreed to replace the plate heat exchanger still. I have a private quote of £265 (parts and labour). The boiler is about 4 years old. As there's no cost to me, I figure I should just get it done and have a nice, clean no limescaled up plate heat exchanger even though the other one "appears to be working fine".
Thoughts?
However, the original insurance company that covers my boiler under cover has agreed to replace the plate heat exchanger still. I have a private quote of £265 (parts and labour). The boiler is about 4 years old. As there's no cost to me, I figure I should just get it done and have a nice, clean no limescaled up plate heat exchanger even though the other one "appears to be working fine".
Thoughts?
I am very surprised they have agreed to replace the plate HE as the blockage was not related to it.
I normally just remove the plate HE and clean it on site all in one visit. Far cheaper for the client as I can do it quickly in just one visit without ordering and returning with a new one. My cleaning deals with oxide dirt as well as any lime scale.
Lime scale is not normally any problem in London unless there are dripping hot taps. However, the water to the west of London is far harder and in those areas significant lime scale can be deposited in plate HEs. I have even been to some in Reading with the flow reduced to virtually zero.
I normally just remove the plate HE and clean it on site all in one visit. Far cheaper for the client as I can do it quickly in just one visit without ordering and returning with a new one. My cleaning deals with oxide dirt as well as any lime scale.
Lime scale is not normally any problem in London unless there are dripping hot taps. However, the water to the west of London is far harder and in those areas significant lime scale can be deposited in plate HEs. I have even been to some in Reading with the flow reduced to virtually zero.
The original diagnosis was put down as heat exchanger needs replacing rather than it being blocked so they probably think it’s faulty. In practice these HEs don’t go wrong apart from being blocked, I agree. In any case thinking about whether to do it or leave it.
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Normally plate is blocked on CH side not DHW. Some magic in a bottle usually clears it. Plenty of flushing after and if particularly fouled up, a visit to my friendly mechanic for a special bath does the trick (make of that what you will!).
Sorry I’m not good with reading between the lines. Special liquid is what?
why do you think a plate heat exchanger wouldn’t be affected after all the fins or whatever you call those thin things, are more likely to get blocked that on the main heat exchanger?
What would you normally charge to flush a heat exchanger?
Lime scale is a huge problem in London where there is hard water - why do you think it’s not a problem?
Special concoction of chemicals that I'm not going to document in writing, with my name attached, here or anywhere.
The bath I refer to is a sonic bath.
What chemical on earth is so illegal that it can't even be mentioned. I'm so intrigued.
A power flush will not in any way clear limescale from a plate heat exchanger, the two waters never meet, a power flush filters and cleans the primary water (system water) this heats the secondary water, the water that comes out of your taps, the two waters never meet unless the plate heat exchanger pinholes
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