plumbing

[nikki m]

Can any body give me basic help on how to add the chemical cleaner to my heating system?
I have sludge in my gravity fed system which keeps blocking the pump so the heating comes on when I put the water on - it very warm in here!!!
British Gas say it needs a power flush but I haven't got £500 just now.
Thanks Nikki

 

[oilman]

I live just west of Cambridge, I'll do it for much less if you dont live too far away.

Alternatives are:

Drain the syatem several times to attempt to move sludge, then on the last refill add cleaner to header tank and refill. Cleaner now in system. In a few weeks, drain and refill a couple of times but add inhibitor this time.

Hire a powerflushing pump from hire shop, follow instructions and do your own flush. You will need to have pump adaptors. Take the pump out and connect the adaptors instead and off you go. It does take all day though, and it can take a couple of hours just to set it up.

look herefor some further info (usual disclaimer, but same gear as BG uses)

 

[MrHelpfull]

Cheap solution, you will need to drain down the system so turn off the water supply and locate a suitable drain tap on the ground floor usually near a radiator outlet.

Using a hose drain the entire system. Once drained close the drain tap and turn on the water supply. This will start to fill the header tank in the loft. While this is filling add a sludge remover, (sentinel x400 I have used).
bleed all the rads to get all air out of system ( very important ).

Run the system for a few days and then drain down again.
repeat if required.

Finally add a sludge inhibitor, sentinel x100. Job done.

 

[COG]

as Mr H said ,i use x400 all the time ,good stuff but make shure your drain point is at the loeast point of the system even if thi meens lifting a floor board and putting a new drain tap under the floor , remember your trying to remove sludge which can settle at the lowest point.

 

[oilman]

nikkim, if you're going to start lifting floorboards to add drain cocks then it's easier to hire a flushing pump. It will do a far better job than just draining (now we'll get some comments ). It's not rocket science to use, take your time and use an acid flushing chemical. I bought a Kamco pump and I use their chemicals. If you use any other make that's ok. Acid flushing is no problem. There's lots of ill founded stories of systems leaking after such treatment, if that's the norm I am doing something wrong as I don't get leaks so no worries there. If you do get a leak, don't panic it can be fixed and you were there when it happened. It would have happened sometime and you might have been away for a few days while it did it's damage.

If you're still unsure trawl around the net a bit, do some reading and phone one of the pump manufacturers, you'll find they are very helpful.