Powerflush - Worth it?

[bluesxman]

Hi!

We've been recommended by British Gas to have our system powerflushed. We do have a problem as several radiators have cold spots and the water in the system is black.

My question is, is this just a money spinner, or are there real benefits to doing this over an old-fashioned chemical flush?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Registered Gas Man]

This is a money spinner

They will flush the rads which is great but I'm guessing for around £400-£600??? ( I may be very wrong )

If your system is old this can remove rust that is holding your rads together causing them to pin hole and of course then you need a new rad. You may find they ask you to sign something that frees them of the blame for the resulting damage.....!!

Oilmans way

if you don't mind taking the rads off the wall and rinsing them through outside, and connecting a hose to the pipes and cleaning them

Is the best if you have a very old system

Shop around lots of installers do this now, get some more info from them.

 

[oilman]

Yes there's benefits, but it's horses for courses. It's better than a drain and flush, but if you don't mind taking the rads off the wall and rinsing them through outside, and connecting a hose to the pipes and cleaning them, then that's anither way. Then you will have to refill the system. Now, I must be doing it the wrong way because it takes ages to refill and bleed a system. This is where a power flush is better, the system stays full a the time.

The cost of cleaning will be a fraction of the system cost, and it's needed because in the life of the system, nobody looked after it.

 

[sifu]

BG charge £87 call out + £16 per 15mins thereafter. You're looking at 1/2 hour per rad depending on the state of the system, but BG only have two prices; up to 11 rads and 11 rads+. BG also replace the pump and, AFAIK, cover any rads that leak as long as you're on 3* maintenance cover. Included in this price will be the cost to close-couple the system if it needs it. I also believe they guarantee the work for 5 years. Check the details before you pay. They're so busy with contract customers that they don't need these extra chargable jobs, so they overcharge. One of my friends charges about £300 but leaking rads are extra. A powerflush is by far much easier and often much more effective than removing each radiator.
I'd agree with the others though. You may want to try putting Sentinel x400 in the system for a couple of weeks and removing the rads yourself. This is DIYnot.com after all

 

[oilman]

Hey RegisteredGasman, how do you manage to quote my posts nearly half an hour before I sent it? You should be able to reply to peoples problems before they know they have any at this rate. Do you know if I'll be busy next week, and more importantly what will this weeks lottery numbers be?

 

[Registered Gas Man]

Names Godfrey; God for short

 

[oilman]

Yeah, but what are the numbers, ........THE NUMBERS!!!!!

 

[breezer]

Yeah, but what are the numbers, ........THE NUMBERS!!!!!

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