POWERFLUSHING central heating system

A question about : POWERFLUSHING central heating system

number of radiators 8 any idea of cost involved? boiler only 3years old but system wasnt flushed when new boiler fitted according to bosch guy.

Best answers:

• It doesn't necessarily need a powerflush. If the radiators are heating up normally then you can get away with adding system restore (Fernox) and leaving it for a week with the heating running normally. After that drain down the system completely add inhibitor or Scalex and it should run fine. I'd only use powerflush if there is a problem with the radiators (ie hot at the top but cold at the bottom.
• problem is its already caused the heat exchanger to leak and that has now been renewed and radiators are hot at top cold at bottom on some radiators,water is like mud.......
• Oh dear. I guess no corrosion inhibitor was added and the system hasn't been serviced since it was installed. You really need to have the system drained down once a year and then refilled adding corrosion inhibitor. Especially with boilers that have an aluminium heat exchanger like the Worcester Bosch. I'd also get the boiler serviced once every two years at least.
  Sounds like you'll have to bite the bullet and get it done unless you are prepared to drain down the system. Take each radiator off and flush it clean. Fill the system up, add Fernox Restorer or a similar sludge remover, run the heating for a week and then drain the whole system down again. Refill it and add corrosion inhibitor. Even then you may find that you don't clear the whole system.
  The cost of a powerflush can be anywhere from 180 to 600 depending on who you call and where you are in the country. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours but if the system is as bad as your saying then it could take longer. Also if your system is microbore then there's no gaurantee it'll clear. You may end up replacing the pipework
• Sentinal 400 or similar sludge remover should cleanse it. You may need to do it twice if the system is in a bad way. Leave it in for a fortnight at a time and thouroughly flush out each time.
  You can buy this at your local plumbers merchants or online at somewhere like www.screwfix.com
  If you were to employ a plumber or heating eng. to do it it could take 8 hours or so total time spread over several visits.
  British gas (I don't normally rec. them for anything :-)) may be more cost effective long term at Ј500 or so as Im pretty sure they guarantee for life against re sludging. (I think-dont quote me)
• thanks all, Boiler is serviced yearly by Bosch/worcester guy at a cost of Ј160 but only boiler covered so guess it will be B/gas quote of 560 inc vat.yes it is small bore piping.
• We are hoping somebody can give us some good advice regarding our heating system, we have central heating in place the last 35 years, we have replaced our boiler to a Worcester Bosch in 2001 (its a Greenstar HE plus combi), we run 14 rads from it, some of the rads don't heat up as they should, we have had the system drained and some of the rads have had the gunge removed, this is because we have had the house reskimmed so the rads have been removed & are now back on again, but still some of the rads are not up to par, can anybody tell us what we should do to bring our system so that it is more efficient. regards zzaapp
• Powerflushing a microbore instal is asking for trouble.
• Thread hijack (its old so hopefully nobody will mind)
  Our noisy chuffing boiler is "kettling" ??? due to a blocked heat exchanger according to the BG man and its not covered by our homecare agreement.
  BG have quoted me Ј851 to powerflush the system, fit some magic magnet cleaner thingy and replace the air separator. Apparantly they will replace the heat exchanger foc if this doesnt work.
  Does this seem an excessive price or is it worth it for the heat exchanger guarantee?.
  Our rads are hot all over and the heating works fine, its just the boiler noise thats the problem. Im reasonable confident I can flush the system and add an inhibiter myself but changing the heat exchanger is probably beyond me.
  Thanks
• Fernox do a product that might be worth a shot first, can be easily added via the filling loop (assumming a combi?)
  https://www.fernox.com/?cccpage=sc_bo...silencer&sub=3
  (Might need two shots if over ten rads on system)
  I've just bought the leak sealer myself from tradeplumbing.co.uk, they stock this stuff too
  https://www.tradeplumbing.co.uk/Ferno...er_p_5207.html
  Disclaimer : I'm not a plumber and don't work for either organisation mentioned in posting!
• Its not a combi and its fed from a tank in the roof space.
  I should have added that this noise only really started a xmas and has got worse quite quickly. Not helped by running the heating 24/7 during the snows though.
  Anyone know if its likely for the HE to go 1st with no other heating symptoms?