Central Heating Flush, Magnaclean Heating Filter, Hive Smart Thermostat

smitchy73

I was advised at my latest boiler check that the system needs flushed due to lots of 'stuff' inside and water being very dirty.
Got local guy who has done some jobs for myself and some family too, so trust, just don't know prices for these things.
Hive dumb set up - £190 or Hive thermostat Smart - £240
Magnaclean Heating Filter - £250
Chemical flush of heating system - £300.
Lastly, some friends have said the chemical flush etc isn't really necessary, but it has me worried!
Any advice greatfully received.

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi Smitchy.

Do you know if the system water is dirty? Did you see a sample? Have you ever bled a radiator, so have seen the water?

If the system water is 'dirty' - ie has 'sludge', which is internal rust - then it should ideally be removed if your boiler, pump, valves etc are going to work as well as they should.

This is usually done by a 'powerflush' where a pumped supply of cleansing solution is sent around your system. The carp is collected in a large magnetic filter unit. This is labour-intensive, usually taking a few hours, and typically costs ~£300 upwards.

IF your system is dirty, then a 'chemical flush' like this is probably sensible. 'Inhibitor' chemicals are then added to prevent any further rusting.

The installation of a Magnaclean filter is also a good long-term move, as this continues to collect any remaining sludge that the powerflush didn't shift. At £250, tho', this does strike me as a costly install. The filter itself is only between £55 and £110 depending on model, and fitting it is quick and easy, especially since the system will be drained down anyway for the PF. Unless there are mitigating circumstances, that strikes me as being around £100 excessive.

Hives are expensive, but very nice units. I don't know what the 'dumb' model is, but the units tend to cost upwards of - what? - £100? Fitting this is straight-forward, especially as it's usually wireless. He might need to sub-contract this to a sparky, but still...

'Dumb' model? https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-smart-thermostat-white/915hg

'Smart' model? https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-thermostat/4632J?kpid=4632J&ds_kid=92700055281954502&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI98ygnfv-8AIVWxkGAB2K9A1rEAQYASABEgL1_fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

smitchy73

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Hi Smitchy.

Do you know if the system water is dirty? Did you see a sample? Have you ever bled a radiator, so have seen the water?

If the system water is 'dirty' - ie has 'sludge', which is internal rust - then it should ideally be removed if your boiler, pump, valves etc are going to work as well as they should.

This is usually done by a 'powerflush' where a pumped supply of cleansing solution is sent around your system. The carp is collected in a large magnetic filter unit. This is labour-intensive, usually taking a few hours, and typically costs ~£300 upwards.

IF your system is dirty, then a 'chemical flush' like this is probably sensible. 'Inhibitor' chemicals are then added to prevent any further rusting.

The installation of a Magnaclean filter is also a good long-term move, as this continues to collect any remaining sludge that the powerflush didn't shift. At £250, tho', this does strike me as a costly install. The filter itself is only between £55 and £110 depending on model, and fitting it is quick and easy, especially since the system will be drained down anyway for the PF. Unless there are mitigating circumstances, that strikes me as being around £100 excessive.

Hives are expensive, but very nice units. I don't know what the 'dumb' model is, but the units tend to cost upwards of - what? - £100? Fitting this is straight-forward, especially as it's usually wireless. He might need to sub-contract this to a sparky, but still...

'Dumb' model? https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-smart-thermostat-white/915hg

'Smart' model? https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-thermostat/4632J?kpid=4632J&ds_kid=92700055281954502&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI98ygnfv-8AIVWxkGAB2K9A1rEAQYASABEgL1_fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

HI Jeepers,
Yeah the engineer showed me some of the water and it was horrid looking, but he also wasn't advising me to use his well known national company as he said they'd be charging three times the price for any of the jobs.
So bar the price for the filter it looks about right?  The plumber did tell me the power flush does take a bit of time so that price is understandable.
I might need to put off the thermostat install for a couple of months, depending on overtime at work, lol
Thanks for the info.

Jeepers_Creepers

Sounds as tho' your system could do with a good clean, then, and £300 for that - if it's effective - is perfectly reasonable.

Yes, the fitting of the Magnaclean (a good move) does seem pricey for some reason, given that the actual item is around £110 max and fitting it is usually peasy (a competent DIY job, for example). It may be that access to a suitable pipe (the 'return' to the boiler) is awkward so he needs to extend that, but still...

Ditto for the Hive. Nice units, but fitting seems a tad high to me (again, an easy, competent-DIY install).

I guess more important, tho', is that you have a trustworthy, reliable fellow who comes recommended - that's worth a lot. :-)

Bottom line - I'm sure you could find someone who's a bit cheaper, but that ain't all that matters.

Londoner_1

You need 3 quotes to compare, best get the job doe before sept end.