Powerflush didn't clear my blockage, now what?

[brakedust]

Hi guys and girls :waving:... I have a dilemma
I have 2 Rads that have not worked since I moved into my ground floor flat, and I decided last week to sort it, so I removed the bathroom one and cleaned it out, it was full of lots of dirt, but flushed through clear in the end.

TO cut a long story short, it still didn't work.

So I called a power flusher out for today, they plugged into the blocked pipes and couldn't get it to flow, even going to 4bar with no flow, they flushed the rest of the system, but basically it was a waste of a wedge of money that I don't have at the moment.
They said the return is blocked and I will need to change the pipe.

The lads doing it didn't seem to know much about plumbing though, he even said all he does is power flushes.

So has anyone got any ideas? Its not a huge problem at the moment, but I can't afford to be tearing my floor up for winter!

 

[bob the plumber]

doesnt sound like you have much of a choice other than to replace the affected pipework. If they have already tried to blow it through with mains pressure and that didnt work i doubt you have no chance with anything else, not that im aware of anyway.

 

[bob the plumber]

i know you say you have power flushed the system but did you also take the affected rads the wall and open the rad valves into a bucket?

 

[brakedust]

Cheers Bob, I was afraid that may be the case! Guess I need to get saving then, there isn't some sort of solid pipe cleaner that can be used? If we have blocked oil chambers at work we use high pressure air to blow them out, I take it that the system wouldn't cope with that sort of thing?

 

[dontknowitall]

Are the trv's working properly?

You can test this by closing the lockshield and trv. Then bleed the radiator until water stops coming out. Then turn trv on and off. If water comes out as expected, try the same for the lockshield.

Could be an airlock - perhaps there's a bleed point you've missed?

 

[brakedust]

I had a powerflush company come out and do the work today, they had a big wheeled trolley with a pump on top, and they used chemicals to try and unblock it, they put water through the supply up to 4bar, then tried to pet it through the return and got nothing, they didn't look at the other blocked Rad though, said it shouldn't mater as the water should still flow (makes sense I guess, but I'm new to plumbing!)

 

[brakedust]

Are the trv's working properly?

You can test this by closing the lockshield and trv. Then bleed the radiator until water stops coming out. Then turn trv on and off. If water comes out as expected, try the same for the lockshield.

Could be an airlock - perhaps there's a bleed point you've missed?

Its a ground floor flat with only 5 rads though, and wouldn't a powerflush be able to push past any air in the system?

Im going to sound stupid here, but what is a TRV?

 

[dontknowitall]

Thermostatic radiator valve - the thingy with numbers on it!

 

[Millsy 82]

Many years ago I had the same problem 1 microbore pipe blocked solid I said to the customer she had to replace the pipework to the rad my boss on the other hand decided to tell her we would get an air compressor. Long story short 9 Bar of pressure soon shifted the blockage and luckily didnt blow any joints. It was the worst fill up i've done in my life.

Although it worked I would not recommend it if you have a weak joint then it will find it.

 

[bob the plumber]

thermostatic radiator valve TRV its the valve with a head that you generally turn from 1 to 5 on one side of your radiator. If I ever have a problem like this ill either do as dontknowitall does or to give it a right good blast through ill take the rad off the wall and open both rad valve (lockshield + TRV) seperatley into a bucket to see if im getting good flow 🙂

 

[brakedust]

Ahh, thingy with numbers on! Neither of these rads have then, and the powerflush bods changed the return valve on the bathroom rad in case it was knackered

 

[desrob]

where in this wonderful country are you .

 

[brakedust]

Currently in Reading, but as of 1am I will be in Afghanistan! But I have a lodger who will be in while I'm away

 

[brakedust]

Is it going to crazy money to get to the pipework?
I wont get to do much for a few months, I had just wanted this fixed before I went away as it will bug me.
I'm considering the option of closing all the rads off and removing the return from the boiler and putting some pressure down the line to see if this will unclog it as Millsy has said, not an ideal solution, and as said it will show any weaknesses, but will save pulling my flat to bits!

 

[Pipes Plumbing]

How are the pipes installed?
Are they surface mounted, in ducts in the floor or plastered into the walls? That will be the biggest decider of cost for you...

 

[Deleted member 44451]

just reading the replys it sounds as though most people are pointing at the rad valves i would have though mr power flush would have picked up on that. i recently had a similar problem with micro bore pipes buried in the screed and a rad not working. i found the manifold cut it out and discovered what looked like a lump of solidified putty blocking one of the ports put it back together and worked a treat. i was trying to think of a way of clearing with pressure but couldnt come up with a satisfactory answer. dunno were you get 9 bar from

 

[fuzzy]

Hi guys and girls :waving:... I have a dilemma
I have 2 Rads that have not worked since I moved into my ground floor flat, and I decided last week to sort it, so I removed the bathroom one and cleaned it out, it was full of lots of dirt, but flushed through clear in the end.

TO cut a long story short, it still didn't work.

So I called a power flusher out for today, they plugged into the blocked pipes and couldn't get it to flow, even going to 4bar with no flow, they flushed the rest of the system, but basically it was a waste of a wedge of money that I don't have at the moment.
They said the return is blocked and I will need to change the pipe.

The lads doing it didn't seem to know much about plumbing though, he even said all he does is power flushes.

So has anyone got any ideas? Its not a huge problem at the moment, but I can't afford to be tearing my floor up for winter!

plan it for when you have time, cut it out and replace

 

[Pipes Plumbing]

I'm saying pipework blockage too somewhere too....

Without seeing it and testing where water is doing what, for me it's impossible to diagnose fully and with 100% confidence.

Wouldn't panic too much as an emergency fix, it's lovely and warm at the minute 🙂

 

[fuzzy]

I'm saying pipework blockage too somewhere too....

Without seeing it and testing where water is doing what, for me it's impossible to diagnose fully and with 100% confidence.

Wouldn't panic too much as an emergency fix, it's lovely and warm at the minute 🙂

once exposed its as easy to change the full run