flush

[spoonse]

I have cold rads downstairs ,have taken them off and flushed with hose but still no joy.They fill up ok and pipe from floor feels warm but no heat coming through.Have been told that a power flush might help and was wondering how much this might cost-we have 10 rads..any ideas? thanks

 

[muggles]

Powerflush might help, check it's not sticking valves first though, take the head off the TRV and see of the pin will move up and down. Don't pull it too hard or it'll come out. Get some quotes from good local companies to see how much it will cost in your area

 

[bengasman]

Could be a number of reasons why you have cold rads, balancing, blockage, bypass, pump, airlock, boilerstat; far from sure you need a powerflush.
Will be a lot cheaper and quicker and probably better to have the system checked first by a good local independent RGI.

 

[spoonse]

i dont have pins on the valves unfortunately so i suppose i can rule that one out? Rgi-? Is that a Corgi reg person you meant to pop round and check it out?

 

[spoonse]

forgot to mention we have an old microbore system

 

[Morris40]

oh dear microbore, you can't actually powerflush microbore pipe as powerflush works on the principle that pushing a large volume of water through will loosen and clear all foreign matter, with microbore you can not push a large volume of water through, also if you have double entry valves these could be damaged, sorry

 

[Agile]

forgot to mention we have an old microbore system

The most important aspect you "forgot" to mention!

Usually the most satisfactory solution is to chemically clean the system but that can cause joints to leak. If under concrete that would be a big problem.

Most professionals would suddenly become too busy! Thats means that only the inexperienced who dont understand the pitfalls are likely to come out and you may well be dissapointed.

If anyone called me with that problem I would point out the pitfalls but offer to try but would point out the risks and require payment ( in advance ) which would be regardless of the results obtained.

The only sure way forward is to repipe the system in 15 mm ( or at least 10mm ). That could be less than power flushing which is usually about £300-£600.

Tony

 

[muggles]

i dont have pins on the valves unfortunately so i suppose i can rule that one out? Rgi-? Is that a Corgi reg person you meant to pop round and check it out?

RGI = Registered Gas Installer. NOT CORGI registered, Gas Safe Registered, it's not been CORGI for a long time

 

[Morris40]

and as i said before don't waste money on power flush, won't work unless each and every rad is removed and done separately, that means more work, more cost

 

[Nige F]

Could be a number of reasons why you have cold rads, balancing, blockage, bypass, pump, airlock, boilerstat; far from sure you need a powerflush.
Will be a lot cheaper and quicker and probably better to have the system checked first by a good local independent RGI.

You don`t need an RGI to attend to the pipework You could get a retired non gas plumber like myself @ a fraction of the cost due to no overheads and fees to pay to Gas Safe - But they should do nothing to the boiler other than what you as a householder can - ie switch it off - clean or replace the pipes fill the system - switch it on . Shame I`m in Sussex

 

[spoonse]

Thanks for the well appreciated advice to you all-i think as you say its worth taking the plunge and opting for the pipework to be renewed in the long run.Its going to be a bit of upheaval but we have to cross that bridge and get it right.

Cheers Lloyd

 

[simond]

There was a very good suggestion earlier, if you have the old Yorkshire single entry rad valves (no longer made) and the tube is broken/missing you will get cold rads. These use two microbore pipes at one end of the rad.

Otherwise, |I would locate the branch manifold (where all the microbore pipes meet) and check it isn't airlocked. Seems strange to me the downstairs doesn't work. This is unlikely to be sludge if it all went off around the same time.

Finally, if the upstairs is on normal bore, check your pump is working properly, as sometimes you can get gravity circ alone upstairs.

 

[spoonse]

Thanks -i've got a plumber round tomorrow and i'll ask him about the pump good point

 

[bengasman]

and as i said before don't waste money on power flush, won't work unless each and every rad is removed and done separately, that means more work, more cost

I'd read up on powerflushing if I were you.

 

[Agile]

There was a very good suggestion earlier, if you have the old Yorkshire single entry rad valves (no longer made) and the tube is broken/missing you will get cold rads. These use two microbore pipes at one end of the rad.

If the internal plastic tube is broken or missing then BOTH pipes to the rad will get hot but only the entry corner of the rad.

Only the double entry rad valve systems cannot be power flushed at all.

Opposite end rad valves CAN be power flushed but oweing to the higher pipe resistances its less effective although the high head flushing pumps are much better.

If a microbore pipe is completely blocked then no action can unblock it apart from cutting out and replacing.

I never seem to be that lucky but others say that blockages often occur at the manifolds. I suppose those lucky ( or selective recall? ) people only see compression manifolds and not the soldered type I usually encounter.

[ Of couse the reason that I encounter the most difficult ones is that others have sorted out the easy ones and I only get called when everything else has failed. Thats usually the time for repiping. ]

Tony