Glow-worm exchange plate

[ChrisR]

If he says he has flushed the system properly then he has.

But if a system were flushed "properly" there would be no point doing it a further two times, unless by radically different method.

Your faith in your local advisors is admirable, though it took oilski and gasgeezer to prove them wrong about the simple matter of which side of the heat exchanger was involved.
It would be interesting to know what chemical was used in the powerflushing, what procedure was used and how long it took.

However, this WAS a new system so it would be unusual to have all the problems you have.
If you
1) get the water analysed (£25) you will know if something unusual is dissolved and still causing problems
2) put a filter and/or magnetic cleaner on the heating return pipe, you can avoid blocking the boiler and monitor the situation.

You have to recognise that you do not now have a "brand new system". You might be surprised to see how "used" they look after just a few weeks' running with some acid soldering flux left in the system.

It's always possible, as mentioned before, that your radiators for some reason were not as clean as usual at installation. I have tipped rust out of a new radiator.

It is probable that the circulating debris has worn the pump, and of course a pump can always be faulty.

 

[Agile]

"""The installer is known to me and has flushed the brand new system three times. He is a corgi registed installer for 20 years. If he says he has flushed the system properly then he has. """

Diane, firstly, I would ask why there is still dirt in the system if he has done the flushing properly?

Secondly, we have been talking about POWER flushing. That involves using a pump costing up to £1000, chemicals costing about £30 and takes several hours.

If it had been properly power flushed then there would be no dirt, its as simple as that!

Every week I go to dirty systems where the installer says that he has flushed the system ( but has not ). When I ask which chemicals he has used he does not even know the name of any!

All I can say is that the dirt proves that he has not adequately cleaned the system. I would doubt that he has used ANY chemicals and I also doubt that he even owns a power flushing pump. He has also presumably been doing sub standard work for 20 years. Some people never learn!

Tony

 

[simond]

Sylvian

If you have fitted a filter (even if it is the wife's tights) over the incoming water main and it's clear, then the contamination must be coming from the heating circuit.

You have seen the evidence in your heat exchanger.

There are therefore only a few places the crud can be emanating from;
1 - the boiler
2 - the pipework
3 - the radiators

Most of the people on this forum have been doing this job a while and are more than familiar with finding combi hw heat exchangers full of brown flakes, like tobacco.

This is rust and magnetite. The combi heat exchanger acts as a filter and any muck invariably gets stuck in the flow in connection.

Occasionally we find a new radiator that is totally corroded inside and full of muck. We had a towel rail from City Plumbing the other day - their own brand - which was absolutely heaving with corrosion inside. It looked like it had been at the bottom of the sea for a year, but outwardly perfect. The other two delivered were fine.

So my money is on (3).

regards

Simon

www.hwch.co.uk