Central Heating Additives

[calorific]

I can only talk from experience as the 4 (out of 250 or so) of my installations that have developed issues have all had inhibitor in the system

Those that don't are to date just fine...but they do have dirt seperators...

That is indeed scant evidence. How many of the 250 systems have got inhibitor in them? How many of those also have separators?

 

[ALEC1]

All of my install's have dirt separators, very few have inhibitors.

I am pleasantly surprised by the outcome as are my clients...

 

[calorific]

All of my install's have dirt separators, very few have inhibitors.

I am pleasantly surprised by the outcome as are my clients...

It could equally well be the combination of the separator and inhibitor that is the issue and thus indicate that either/or but not both is the best protector.

However, 1.6% failure rate is not statistically significant enough data to formulate a clear conclusion. Who knows - the next 8 failures might come about from those without inhibitor. That's the nature of the danger of using relative frequencies to estimate probability too early on

 

[ALEC1]

on that I agree, which is why other peoples observations would be welcome...

 

[calorific]

on that I agree, which is why other peoples observations would be welcome...

I wonder is anyone has actually done a full stats survey on this using a large enough sample. unless any pros on here can confirm that they have provided data, then I guess nobody has

 

[ALEC1]

alot of this industry is run on marketing mantras and few people question them......

I think the british public is going to live with unnecessary dissatisfaction for many years because of this...

 

[CBF]

so you have done 250 installs none of which are now covered by the manifacturers warrentee as you have failed to install them to the MI, inhibitor is req by EVERY boiler manifacturer, i agree about the magnaclean/tf1/spirovent (whatever is fitted) & i always fit one on a boiler change but that is a belt & braces thing it only treats the syptoms not the cause, i'm sure fernox & sentinal have all the facts sheets you could possibly need, in an ideal world the heating would only ever be filled once & never drained or had more water or oxygen introduced in to it & corrosion will start the moment you put water in so you need to prevent that with inhibitor.

 

[ALEC1]

more or less yes...but why do you need warranties if things don't go wrong..

and warranties never include sludge issues either so it seems to make no odds...


there are other things too that I do but thats a different story..

 

[CBF]

more or less yes...but why do you need warranties if things don't go wrong..

and warranties never include sludge issues either so it seems to make no odds...

but things will go wrong & how can you say that warrentees never include sludge issues ? if the hex starts leaking or making a noise or the boiler stops working due to sludge or crap in the system then the warrentee is nul & void so who is going to pay for a replacement, you ?,

you said don't get personal but you are making it really difficult not to when you clearly don't do the job correctly, which is really worrying for all your past or future customers, just because you "don't think it helps or can cause more problems" is neither here nor there, the MI req it to have inhibitor put in end of, i'd be interested to find out the other things that you do or don't do just because you think you are right

 

[ALEC1]

No boiler manufacturer ever covers sludged up heat exchangers main or plate, I am afraid......so thats all a bit of marketing manipulation

one or two were generous a few years ago but a blocked heat exchanger is not covered by any warranty

the best bet is to design out the possibility of sludge affecting either heat exchanger by installing a decent dirt separator, thats what I do..

 

[ALEC1]

I don't know what boilers you install but if you get leaking heat exchangers I would change brand!

 

[CBF]

i didn't say they do cover scaled or sludged hex, however what you need to do is prevent that from happening & a filter won't do that, which is why inhibitor & a scale inhibitor (if it's a combi) is not only req by the boiler manifacturers but the building regs as well, so not only are you giving your customers a really poor service but you aren't even fitting to the regs.

 

[ALEC1]

thats as may be...but my business relies on happy customer getting reliable heating systems...

between an install that complies with regulations and an install that is issue free most people prefer the latter..

I mentioned other things I did to avoid sludge issues but you did not notice... I guess you are not interested...

 

[CBF]

thats as may be...but my business relies on happy customer getting reliable heating systems...

between an install that complies with regulations and an install that is issue free most people prefer the latter..

I mentioned other things I did to avoid sludge issues but you did not notice... I guess you are not interested...

the only thing i can see is you saying you design out the possibility of sludge entering the hex by fitting a dirt sep which won't stop the sludge forming in the rads & pipework & muck will still get in the hex.

but your customers aren't getting a reliable heating system they are getting one that will break down due to issues that you as an installer could have prevented.

i don't believe i'm hearing this from someone that does installs for a living, so you have just said you don't comply with regs because you believe they will give your customers issues, do you comply with the gas regs ? or the MI when it says you need 22mm or just use whatever is there ?

 

[ALEC1]

of course I do.. I am just saying some regulations are based on sales patter and others are not...the use of inhibitors being one..

I actually don't believe so many installers haven't picked up on this...

today I have to go and clear a hydraulic connection to an expansion vessel on someone else's install that does not have a filter but does have inhibitor in it...

it makes you want to weep as a filter will last for ever and even the manufacturers say that inhibitors should be topped up annually

what do you do CBF?