Hi all,
Apologies if this is a little long winded but im completely lost with the central heating issue i am having and i am hoping someone has experienced a similar issue and can offer advice!
I moved into my house almost 2 years ago. When i moved in the house got a powerflush done, an inhibitor added and a magniclean fitted to prevent future problems. The system was perfect following that. This winter the 3 radiators furthest from the boiler were not heating properly. (livingroom, porch and downstair toilet). The water was black and after removing one rad it was filled with sludge.
I called the engineer that carried out the flush and he has determined that there is no flow to these rads which seems to be due to a blockage. He spent some time trying to clear the block using a pressurised hand pump which failed to clear it. Then we removed floor boards up stair to get into the pipework where they tee off. This section was flowing ok. The pipes are 10mm plastic and apparently problematic?
Next he inserted a rod into the pipe leading downstair. It came up against some resistance that was eventually cleared but only as far as the length of the rod inserted.
after numerous efforts to to clear the blockage using the pump and cleaning agents etc there was no joy and it seems that the thin plastic piped have blockages in the straights and it is clumped up lumps of black matter (rust?). It is not wet and sludge so much but more crumbly and relatively dry.
The engineer has been down a few times and after each attempt it seems that other rads that were hot are cooler and vice versa. They all seem to change regularly. Some are hotter, some cooler and they change each time work is carried out.
The powerflush machine was ran through the system again and after a full day of trying everything there is no real change.
My plumber seems to think that the plastic 10mm pipes are the issue and if cleared may block again. After a complete clear 2 years ago and crystal clear water her has never seen a system get so clogged up again, with various rads changing temp all the time and not being able to clear a blockage. There is still no flow down to the porch and toilet. The livingroom is piping now but not sure how long for.
My plumber, who has tried everything in his arsenal after 20+ years experience has said he has done all he can short of replacing all the pipes, This would mean great expense and major upheaval in lifting all flooring upstair. I would love to avoid that if possible but apparently the current pipe work will mean this will continue even if the block is cleared on this occasion.
Can anyone offer any expertise or thoughts on this issue?
Any help greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
Apologies if this is a little long winded but im completely lost with the central heating issue i am having and i am hoping someone has experienced a similar issue and can offer advice!
I moved into my house almost 2 years ago. When i moved in the house got a powerflush done, an inhibitor added and a magniclean fitted to prevent future problems. The system was perfect following that. This winter the 3 radiators furthest from the boiler were not heating properly. (livingroom, porch and downstair toilet). The water was black and after removing one rad it was filled with sludge.
I called the engineer that carried out the flush and he has determined that there is no flow to these rads which seems to be due to a blockage. He spent some time trying to clear the block using a pressurised hand pump which failed to clear it. Then we removed floor boards up stair to get into the pipework where they tee off. This section was flowing ok. The pipes are 10mm plastic and apparently problematic?
Next he inserted a rod into the pipe leading downstair. It came up against some resistance that was eventually cleared but only as far as the length of the rod inserted.
after numerous efforts to to clear the blockage using the pump and cleaning agents etc there was no joy and it seems that the thin plastic piped have blockages in the straights and it is clumped up lumps of black matter (rust?). It is not wet and sludge so much but more crumbly and relatively dry.
The engineer has been down a few times and after each attempt it seems that other rads that were hot are cooler and vice versa. They all seem to change regularly. Some are hotter, some cooler and they change each time work is carried out.
The powerflush machine was ran through the system again and after a full day of trying everything there is no real change.
My plumber seems to think that the plastic 10mm pipes are the issue and if cleared may block again. After a complete clear 2 years ago and crystal clear water her has never seen a system get so clogged up again, with various rads changing temp all the time and not being able to clear a blockage. There is still no flow down to the porch and toilet. The livingroom is piping now but not sure how long for.
My plumber, who has tried everything in his arsenal after 20+ years experience has said he has done all he can short of replacing all the pipes, This would mean great expense and major upheaval in lifting all flooring upstair. I would love to avoid that if possible but apparently the current pipe work will mean this will continue even if the block is cleared on this occasion.
Can anyone offer any expertise or thoughts on this issue?
Any help greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!