Radiator Sludge

[Harry Bloomfield]

Well, there was no filter before and I didn’t ask for one.

It is a requirement, rather than an option, and the warranty on your boiler, will probably not be valid, unless one has been fitted.

 

[danfre]

Depending on make of boiler and if you are on water meter it is advisable to have a small expansion vessel/ shock arrester.
Good practice would also be to install a scale reducer on the incoming main to protect the plate heat exchange

 

[dilalio]

Depending on make of boiler and if you are on water meter it is advisable to have a small expansion vessel/ shock arrester.
Good practice would also be to install a scale reducer on the incoming main to protect the plate heat exchange

Only if a hard water area.
Can't be arsed to look up if it is... Scotland, no idea without looking.

 

[RainTown]

Only if a hard water area.
Can't be arsed to look up if it is... Scotland, no idea without looking.

Yes, Glasgow is typically considered a hard water area.

As regards a filter, Harry wrote:

“It is a requirement, rather than an option”

Gas Safe guy didn’t mention it, the 2 British Gas services of the Baxi boiler didn’t mention it. One of the power-flush plumbers did say he’d add a filter after the flush was complete.

But original installers are coming back on Monday (assuming they show up), I’ll ask them.

Over the phone they insisted that even if Flow / Return are now wrong way round it “makes absolutely no difference, I’ve been doing this for 20 years mate”, when I suggested the Flow used to be at the top connection and now it’s at the bottom connection in the 4 poorest performing radiators. The 2 that work best are Hall (bottom/bottom connected) , this one works best, and the living room one, which is by far the biggest radiator and seems to have a different internal structure.

 

[denso13]

Gas Safe guy didn’t mention it, the 2 British Gas services of the Baxi boiler didn’t mention it.

Over the phone they insisted that even if Flow / Return are now wrong way round it “makes absolutely no difference, I’ve been doing this for 20 years mate”

You need to find a better quality of installer/plumber.

 

[denso13]

Yes, Glasgow is typically considered a hard water area.

No, as with most of Scotland, it is soft.

 

[endecotp]

Over the phone they insisted that even if Flow / Return are now wrong way round it “makes absolutely no difference, I’ve been doing this for 20 years mate”

“Are you telling me how to do my feckin job? How would you like it if I came round telling you how to do your feckin job you feckin idiot. I’ve swapped flow and return on more boilers than you’ve had hot dinners and no-one else has ever feckin complained, you feckin nob.”

“No we don’t fit those feckin stupid feckin filters. We managed for 1,000 years without them and nobody died. What do you mean, warranty requirement? That’s the first I’ve heard of that, and believe me I would know, no I don’t read any of that stupid feckin bumpf they send me but I would definitely know if I had to fit a fecking filter with every feckin boiler I fitted, I’ve been doing this for 50 years, are you telling me how to do my job, you feckin nob.”


Fairly typical in my experience. As I’ve posted before, there are only about a dozen competent tradesmen in the whole country and they all post on this forum.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

As regards a filter, Harry wrote:

“It is a requirement, rather than an option”

Gas Safe guy didn’t mention it, the 2 British Gas services of the Baxi boiler didn’t mention it. One of the power-flush plumbers did say he’d add a filter after the flush was complete.

To gain efficiency, the boiler manufactures, have reduced the size of the water passages, in modern boilers, to the point where they are easily blocked by debris in the circulated water. As a means to avoid this, many/all insist that you fit a filter, to reduce the debris, and your boilers warranty will be dependent on one having been installed, as well as the seemed being flushed.

Your best way forward, is to read the small print in your boilers warranty document, and the installation manual.

It is also a requirement to meet Part L of the Building Regulations....

However, on 15 June 2022, Part L of the Building Regulations changed. Part L is the section that deals with heating in the home. The Best Practice document is becoming a requirement of the Building Regulations, and when a new boiler is fitted, the installer must carry out the following steps:

1. Clean: carry out a system clean and flush
2. Filter: fit an in-line filter
3. Inhibit: add scale and corrosion inhibitor to the heating system, low temperature systems must also include a biocide
4. Maintain: at every annual boiler service they must also clean and service the filter and check the levels of inhibitor in the system water.