Help: Cleaning an existing central heating system

[GSingh]

Hi everyone, i'm new to the forum and I have a problem that I am asking for help on the behalf of my dad. We have just bought a new central heating boiler, vailiant ecotec Pro 28 to replace a knackered boiler. Before installing the boiler, we were told to clean the existing system. The problem is the boiler does not work and niether does its pump (23+ years old). I wanted to know if there was another way of cleaning system, or improvising?

Any help would be gratefully recieved

 

[kevplumb]

apart from having it power flushed

you could drain it and refill a few times

remove rads and put a hose in them

not really as effective as a proper flush though

if the pump is wired through the boiler it might be worth trying it on a flying lead

another way is to connect the cold main to the cold feed cap the vent
open the drain and push mains pressure through the system

 

[JohnD]

Kev is right. You could get a professional to give it a powerflush before fitting the new boiler.

if you can do basic plumbing, find the old pump and, as Kev says, try running it from a temporary lead. If the pump is jammed it will get very hot, so come back.

if you are fitting a new pump as part of the installation, you could fit that to get the circulation going (be ready to fit new gate pump valves while you are at it, the old ones are probably no good by now). After you have done your initial drain, add a sludge-loosening chemical cleaner and circulate it round per instructions before draining and rinsing again.

I suggest you also fit a Magnaclean on a 22mm return pipe to the boiler, it will trap black sludge from the circulating water to prevent it getting into the new boiler.

You do not sound as if you have the skills required to fit a new boiler.

 

[Agile]

Also be aware that if the boiler is not professionally installed it may not have a warrantee cover and the certification and notification to Building Control will not have been completed!