New boiler or not?

[CountryFan]

What is a bright wire nail test?

Take a sample of heating water, in a suitable receptacle, eg a glass jar with lid, add some bright nails and after a few days see if they rust.

Harry, why drop the water level before adding? Could I just scoop some water out of the tank? Would adding at a radiator be better? If so, how?

Yes, if you have a feed and expansion cistern for your heating, by all means scoop water out and add inhibitor.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry, why drop the water level before adding? Could I just scoop some water out of the tank? Would adding at a radiator be better? If so, how?

The water level in the tank, will rise and fall, as the heating warms and cools, due to expansion. If you just pour it in the tank without lowering the level, then it may take some time for it to eventually get to the rest of the system. Yes, you can scoop, or even syphon it out.

Adding it at a radiator would be better, but might be a little more involved, but easier if the rad it is added to, happened to need bleeding, then you would have airspace at the top. You would need to shut both valves, remove the entire bleed fitting, syphon water out with a pipe (if there was not enough space in it). Then pour the inhibitor in via a bit of pipe and a funnel. Finally, reassemble, open both valves, and run the heating system.

The bright nail test, is one of taking a sample of the heating system water, in a jar, dropping a couple of bright nails in (plain, iron nails, not galvanised, ot otherwise rust protected), and putting a lid on the jar, then leaving it a while. If they rust, your inhibitor needs topping up.

 

[denso13]

Could I just scoop some water out of the tank? Would adding at a radiator be better? If so, how?

Just add it to the cistern as it is, it will circulate ok

 

[spile]

I add it to the magnaclean unit every 3 or 4 years.

 

[gas112]

Just add it to the cistern as it is, it will circulate ok

no it wont , anyone who has been in the trade will have experienced the mass of jelly in the header tank when the gallon containers of fernox was just added to the header tank . It was never got pulled into the system and just turned into gelatinous mass.
If putting it in the tank then drain off a reasonable amount of the system with ball valve tied up then add the inhibitor and release the ball valve .
If there is a towel rail then this is the easiest way to get it into the system

 

[gas112]

I add it to the magnaclean unit every 3 or 4 years.

Magna cleans are know as magnaleaks within the trade due to how easy they leak after being touched

 

[fixitflav]

Fixitflav, Why would it be too late now the job has been done?

I just meant it would be a new job to drain the system again to fit a Magnaclean.

I assume the inhibitor is always the last step in the job.

It can be added via the F/E tank, as others have said. But it's easier to ensure it all gets into the circulating water if added to a Magnaclean,

What is a bright wire nail test?

Covered by other posts

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I just meant it would be a new job to drain the system again to fit a Magnaclean.

I've heard it mentioned several times, that the plastic cased Magnaclean can be troublesome from a leakage point of view, there are other, perhaps more robust versions, from other manufacturers of mag filters. I have an Omega TF1, which I find is effective.

 

[fixitflav]

I've heard it mentioned several times, that the plastic cased Magnaclean can be troublesome from a leakage point of view, there are other, perhaps more robust versions, from other manufacturers of mag filters. I have an Omega TF1, which I find is effective.

I said Magnaclean or similar when I first raised it, but couldn't be bothered to keep repeating it. We've discussed leaking Magnacleans before. I've never had a problem with mine, installed in 2010.