Intermittent Kettling

[ruddyr1]

I have an intermittent kettling problem when the system is on and running, either hot water, central heating or both. The noise last for about 3mins then goes quiet then comes back after a minute for the same period etc etc.

Ive drained down the system today and added fernox restorer but its still making the same noise.

Im thinking it must be something in the water ciculating round rather than the boiler itself.

Is it possible to flush the system out with a hose pipe attached to a radiator one side of a radiator and an out pipe to the other side?

 

[chrishutt]

You don't say what type of boiler and system you have.

 

[ruddyr1]

Its an Ideal elan 2 boiler(ideal is it not!) on an unsealed system, small tank in the loft, hot water tank in cupboard.

 

[JohnD]

You live in Yorkshire so I think the water is soft? Is your kettle scaly with lime?

Did you have Fernox or other anti-corrosion fluid in the system since new?

How old is the boiler, and how long has it been kettling?

 

[ruddyr1]

the waters not too bad never have to descale anything. The system is 13 years old and some months ago had the same problem but drained and washed out all the radiators and that sorted the problem. Didnt put anything in system to keep clean last time but have done on and off over the 13 years.

This time the waters from the system was relatively clean although probably didnt get all of it out. Last time it was brown rust coloured and silty from the bottom of the radiators.

 

[JohnD]

Round my way its usually limescale. You've more likely got rust, I would have thought a chemical cleaner would be an advantage, but I'll stand politely aside, for someone who knows better.

 

[CopperCylinderMan]

If you drained your CH and didnt add inhibitor then the problem is likely to be sludge somewhere in the system - the CH is a mix of Iron/copper/whatever the heat exchanger in the boiler is made from and you WILL get rust if you dont add inhibitor..

you should always re-inhibit your CH system to the correct dosage after you drain it.

Possibly your pump is struggling with the sludge in the CH from the last few months, reducing the flow from the heatex in the boiler, causing the kettling.

HTH

CCM