powerflushing, radiators may still be black!

[aggis]

Have found Fernox & Sentinel products will clean systems pretty well with a P F machine, F5 & X800 best, but with severely fouled systems Kamco's FX2 comes into it's own [ not for use with allumium ]. It does take longer as you have to neutralise it. Often will dose system with Fernox F3 or x400 to pre-clean.
Always use a TDS meter & ph paper to confirm it's clean & neutral.

 

[mike_s]

Never used a TDS meter or PH paper but been meaning to try them. I would be surprised if they picked up much if the water looks clear and there is so much black water just not moving from inside the radiator?
Never used F5 or X800 either, I'll look into them, cheers.

Still think it's no where near as good as assumed and in some cases the only way to be sure is take the radiator off and flush outside.

I even wrote an article on my website on powerflushing a few months ago but in future in some cases the radiators will have to come off the wall I think.
Check it out if you like Ainsdale Gas Heating & Plumbing Powerflushing - Bring new life into old radiators

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

looked at your site impressive sorry to see you have a sherpa been there paid the maintenance bills my condolences moving on manual flushing is the best way forward its thorough,but the right chemicals are important

 

[mike_s]

cheers mate, picked up a bottle of X800 today and got another power flush to do next week so will put that in the day before.

 

[gasmarc]

i did the kamco course years ago and ended up buying the same machine that kamco sell for £800 odd for less than half price from ABCOT UK , The reason people remove rads is because they have not flushed them correctly , I have not used these new powerflushing magnets but they are suppose to be the business ,well for £300 they should be , but the advantage is it only requires one pass , I have powerflushed a system before where my mate was helping me isolating valves etc, he disappeared down the shops while i did the last rad. Job finished everything heating up except the last rad , I had to return the next day and it was full of crude oil

 

[mike_s]

The reason people remove rads is because they have not flushed them correctly

I find this hard to believe, What more can I do that treat the system for a week before then flush all the pipes and each radiator individually? With every power flush I've done we've always got the most black out of the kitchen radiator we took off to connect the machine to and flushed manually outside.

The next black system you go to why don't you try taking a downstairs radiator off after the power flush and see if it's as crystal clear as the water coming out of the dump hose, I think it probably will not be.

 

[FD Powerflow]

I ractically powerflush for a living and Ill be honest I swear by my in line filter to the point I have two on my return hose. Chemicals like DS40/F5 and X800 get the sludge moving but you need a decent flow rate and or filter to stop the sludge from resettling and just sitting in the bottom of the rad.

I know what you mean about still finding sludge in the system and as a result of seeing it for myself I invested in the filters for my machine, but still insist on fitting a TF1 to the system at the end.

The way I see it especially if your swapping open vented/back boiler to combi your putting 2 bar of pressure and a higher temperature flow onto the system and in any chemical reaction heat an pressure increase the way it works so the TF1 is my belt and braces to stop any issues once im gone.

 

[Plucky]

If you remove a rad and connect into system that way you have to be a bit clever about what your machikne is going to do. Sometimes it will bypass certain parts of the system I.E. rather than going around a particular rad it may just whizz round the boiler (quite common on combis) So you think you are flushing a rad and really your not. You have to think logically.

I always try and get into the primary flow somehow, normally on the pump valves. Get a better flush and you can keep the boiler on easier.


FD Powerflow where do you get these inline fliters from?

 

[tamz]

I moved into my present house 3 years ago. 1st thing i did was rip the boiler out and repipe most of the pipes under the floor (it had been a solid fuel at one time converted to gas and the pipes took a lonnnngggg road for a shortcut). Over the past couple of years and a few more changes, the only thing original left on the system is 2 attic rads and about 30ft of 1/2" pipe.
At the time i first changed things i powerflushed it and have had the apprentice do it another 3 or 4 times when i was quiet and when he was doing it he was at it for a full 8 hrs. Every time there is still some muck comes out. Done it with X800 and once with FX2.

Powerflushing will never completely clean a system.

 

[mike_s]

Interesting replies cheers guys. Can't wait to try this X800 and will try connecting to the pump instead when practical, as well as taking off radiators more often as surely the best way, tilting them and filling them up with a hose pipe then releasing when full. We always make sure the radiators are full when powerflushing but I'm more sure of the job when flushing it manually outside.