Leaking rad - replace, mend, flush, inhibit?

[JamesHughes]

Hello all,

Just discovered the twin panel twin convector rad in our spare bedroom has done a impressive leak job, so pretty soggy carpet

But question is to do with what to do now.

The leak is from the rear of the front panel - appears to be a rust through pinhole - the enamel has been lifted.

So, should I try and repair (weld, or glue or similar), or should I assume that if it has rusted here, it's probably on its last legs and should be replaced? (Toolstation replacement £62 so not too bad)

Second question. The water that leaks is pretty clean which makes me think there is no inhibitor in the system. So, on replacement/repair, should I then flush the system with flushing chemicals just in case, or just add some inhibitor?

Is this stuff any good http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hea...caler+Inhibitor+All+in+One/d230/sd2708/p45091 which allegedly does both?

TIA

James

 

[Rico99]

James,

Change the rad, also check all the others in the house, if one has gone the reast may not be far behind.

Depending what central heating system your on, if you have 3 way valve in airing cupboard, make sure it is in the manual position when draining and refilling. Also clean out the header tank in loft if you have one.

Drain the system, change the rad, flush thru with clean water first, by refilling the system but the the drain valve on lowest rad open. Keep an eye on the colour water coming out. Once the water coming out looks cleanish shut drain off valve and refill system. Once system is full, bleed all rads and checking for any leaks.

Next you will probably need to run some cleaning chemicals thru. dont get all in one stuff, get Fernox either x400 or x800 and then run that in the system for a week or so. Once you have done that, drain flush and refill the systems adding the fernox inhibitor at the end.

Hope that is clear enough

Rico

 

[JamesHughes]

Thanks Rico, excellent advice there.

How do you check other radiators for impending doom? The one that has failed would have been very difficult to spot, being on the rear side of the front panel.

Also, the X400, X800 I found is by Sentinel, not Fernox - is it the same stuff?

James

 

[jordan1]

use sentinel, it is best, give the system a cold and hot flush and put in sentinel x100 inhibiter and leave it in, thats what ad do anyway, and as rico said change the rad

 

[bengasman]

Flushing without chemicals will probably do little or nothing, and certainly not enough.
FAQ will tell you how to do it.

 

[jordan1]

but the system is clean, it does not need any flushing chemicals

 

[bengasman]

but the system is clean, it does not need any flushing chemicals

If the system is clean, how come the rad has rotted through, where has the crud gone that is the result of that, and why does it need a hot and a cold flush?

 

[jordan1]

its proper practice to give a hot and cold flush, and im assuming the rot is due to a chemical of some sort which has been left in and shouldnt have, the man said himself the water is clean, im not trying to argue or disagree with u bengasman just givimg my opinion

 

[bengasman]

By all means, do argue.
Only by arguing points can you improve knowledge when the shoolbanks have little left to offer.
I was proven wrong recently, and can now do a better job.
Even better I should say.

 

[jordan1]

i understand your point, i like to think i am good at my job and i know quite alot, but i am always willing to learn and always am learning more and more, but when i give someone advice, i am saying what i would do, that doesnt mean what u would do is wrong, theres many ways to string a cat y,know

 

[JamesHughes]

Thanks for all the advice chaps.

Just to confirm - the water leaking out is very clean. Could have come straight out of the tap (not going to taste it though..).

However, I am going to replace the rad then run the system for a while with a cleaner as recommended - seems a sensible things to do as I am messing about with it all anyway.

It's an open system, so I don't think mains pressure flush (as described in the FAQ) is going to be feasible without some changes to the pipework, so will just run for a while with the cleaner in place, then replace it with inhibitor.

I'm also going to replace the three way valve as I know this has a slight leak and isn't really working properly anyway (over hot water when CH is on). Perhaps someone can answer the following Q re: this. Its a Danfoss HSA3 and reading the forums seems to say that this is prone to leaks. I would like to replace with something more reliable, but without having to change wiring/pipework. Are there any direct replacements that fit the bill?

Final Q. Are the rads from Toolstation/Screwfix of a decent enough quality. They seem half the price of anywhere else....

TIA

James

 

[bengasman]

Screwfix rads are not too bad as a rad, but the finish seems to be painted rather than powder coated, which is much more scratch resistant.

 

[JamesHughes]

Cheers. It's in a low use bedroom so painted should be fine.