Jet black water within a year!

[Nostrum]

Anyone ever come up against this before?

Last year I replaced a 6 year old Ecotec after the heat exchanger split and leaked, this was due to water being black. I powerflushed the system and replaced the boiler, and when I pulled out the magnacleanse magnets there was nothing on there. I thought it was odd at the time and if any one that can remember, I posted a thread about this jet black water not being magnetic.

I'm 100% sure last year that it was spotless and dosed with X100 after the powerflush. This year I went and serviced it, stripped magnaclean and not a great deal of gunk on there but the water was mucky. Drained a bit off from down stairs in case some dirt fell off the magnet when removing and it resembles coca cola? Stinks of rusty water too but it doesn't stick to a magnet!?!!

Naturally customer is anxious as am I. Customer hasn't touched it since the install, not topped the pressure up or anything ( and I trust him!)

My only thoughts are either, air is getting in, although he is adamant the system is 100% piped in copper, no plastic (thinking non barrier/air etc) or there is something contaminating the water.

I'm thinking of sending a sample away for testing, anyone know how I could send it too?

Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?

Cheers in advance

 

[Deleted member 7121]

Think you can get a fernox test kit from plumb center and they will send it away for you

 

[Atouchofgas]

SystemCheck | Sentinel
Any use

 

[Nostrum]

My only concern with that is whether or not I get true results if it is a problem with their stuff?

 

[Atouchofgas]

It's in there best interest to, as you use there product so if you start bad publicity for them well
Also it's good for them as they are basically doing a qc on there own product. Failing that I also just found this
Test central heating water sample

 

[Nostrum]

Here's the thread from before for anyone who's interested.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/plumbers-arms/67274-black-heating-water-non-magnetic.html

I think I'll speak to sentinel tomorrow and ask them about the testing service.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Bin the existing rads

 

[AWheating]

bad copper pipe slowly breaking down?

 

[theanalyst]

Copper cancer? or dirty old rads.. or dare I say it, powerflush the fecker and still change the rads!

 

[Nostrum]

Whole system is only 7-8 years old

 

[hammers4spanner]

I would still be inclined to advise renewing rads maybe pipework as sometimes just easier than constant diagnosis

 

[Nostrum]

What's to say that will solve the problem though?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yeah it will

 

[julesverne]

When i was experimenting with ways of cleaning scrap copper to get a better price.
When i left it in a bucket of caustic soda solution for a few days that turned the copper black. So could be a reaction somewhere in the system