1 then 2 now 3 rads down... :(

Philycheesesteak

I've bled them all, tried turning all but the faulty ones off and turning the temp up high but all that did was make the one in the bathroom (I guess the fail safe) hot still. Made one of the dead ones warm but then went cold when the rest went back on.

If I drain a dead rad from the bleed valve it does begin to get warm but then as soon as I stop it goes cold again.

This problem has been going since December but I waited until now because my boiler was due to be serviced with the BG contract we took out last year (after my boiler broke down and we were 3 days in the cold until a part could be sourced.)

Boilerman said the boiler pressure was fine but that our radiators were covered, and to give BG credit an engineer was sent out a few hours later, and didn't charge us the excess/call out charge.

Anyway he drained two of the radiators and said it was definitely sludge in the system. (I was thinking the dark blue stuff was the inhibitor.) The rads got warm but as soon as he stopped went cold.

He turned off all rads except the 3 dead ones and the boiler wouldn't even fire.

So to conclude he has said that there is sludge in the rads & or the manifold? (connector between them somewhere in the system). Recommends in the Spring we drain the whole system a couple of times to attempt to flush it out. If not the dreaded power flush (which I know costs a fortune, best price seemed to be EON at £300).

Since he's gone 1 of the rads is now working again

I'm no plumber and really only dabble in DIY. I've found the tank in the loft where the central heating water comes from. Just looking for any advice and tips before I go ahead and try draining the system.

I know to turn the boiler off, and drain from the lowest rad (happens to be one of the ones which is faulty.)

Do I just put a hose/bucket under and just keep draining until the water becomes clear?

If it doesn't fix the issue shall I buy some sludge remover? Any you recommend? (I've read I have to leave it in the system a few days then re-drain the system).
Hopefully once it's fixed get some inhibitor, again any you recommend, what size for my system do you think?
Any other powerflush companies which wont charge the earth. (I know you can hire the kit but not sure if I'm competent)


System 6.5 years old (from new build)
Not a combi system, standard
Number of rads 12
Ideal boiler

Any help is appreciated

Thanks

gas4you

The trouble with draining like has been done with your rads, is that the water in the pipes will only drain from the pipe that is not blocked.

If possible, remove the rads concerned and then drain from the rad valves, one at a time, into a bucket. That way you should see which pipe has the blockage and hopefully see the sludge or maybe even air, come out into the bucket.

Philycheesesteak

gas4you wrote: »

The trouble with draining like has been done with your rads, is that the water in the pipes will only drain from the pipe that is not blocked.

If possible, remove the rads concerned and then drain from the rad valves, one at a time, into a bucket. That way you should see which pipe has the blockage and hopefully see the sludge or maybe even air, come out into the bucket.

So to close the valves either side of the radiator and open the bleed valve into a bucket, hopefully removing the sludge / air. I guess when it's all emptied I could then remove the rad completely shake it to get rid of any lumps trapped inside from the bottom?

gas4you

I would remove the rad first, so it is easier to put a bucket under each valve.

Philycheesesteak

Thanks,

This weekend I've emptied 15 bowlfulls of water from the system, in various stages of discolouration.

I've removed the rads emptying one at a time. The one which was working after the BG visit is now fully working. The one downstairs is tepid. Upstairs still cold (but is warm when I pull water from the bleed valve.)

I couldn't get the nut off the one side of the one upstairs and scared to force it, and need to clean out from the other side on the one downstairs (as I only drained it from the one side.)

How many washing up bowls would a system like mine need removing until the water was clearer?

gas4you

It's not a simple case of how many bowlfuls of water you get out, it's a case of cleansing the entire system and flushing it out until the water is clean from everywhere.

My previous advice was aimed at getting just that one rad going, rather than cleaning the whole system out in that manner.

Philycheesesteak

I think I definitely need to get the two troublesome rads off and probably taken outside and hosed through. If I can get them cleared I'm definitely going to keep draining from the lowest point until the water is clearer. Then put some inhibitor. I'm surprised how much gunk is in there for a 6 year old system. I wonder if Wimpeys actually put inhibitor in it.

gas4you

I doubt they would have put any inhibitor in, although I can't say for certain.

If you can get all the rads going, then put a bottle of X800 in and leave in for a couple of hours with the boiler running, before draining out and flushing.

zeupater

gas4you wrote: »

I doubt they would have put any inhibitor in, although I can't say for certain.

If you can get all the rads going, then put a bottle of X800 in and leave in for a couple of hours with the boiler running, before draining out and flushing.

And then get someone to fit a magnaclean (or similar) to the system (return pipe to boiler) before adding some inhibitor .....

HTH
Z