powerflush

Toms6033

Hey - we have BG three star cover and are having problems with our heating, when the boiler is higher than 2 - 3 the boiler makes loud banging noises and pumps boiling water into the over-spill tank in the loft. Yesterday boiling water was coming out of the overflow.

BG have advised a powerflush costing £746!! which is not covered in the homecover insurance.

There are no problems with cold radiators. We have a back boiler and the hot water is connected to the bathroom radiator and that is sometimes cold.

Is a powerflush necessary? If so, I am competent and hands on. The heating flusher would have to be connected to a radiator as the pump is under the floor requiring the dismantling of laminate flooring and floor boards etc...

Thanks for your help.:beer:

mm4

Can anybody help.
Had new rad fitted in front room by a good plumber, when he finished doing his connections and turned the water back on to refill the system (gravity fed) the rads downstairs filled up but the upstairs one would fill up tried numerous things and in the end thought we had a airlock, so we left it over night. In the morning we bled the rads and all the rads upstairs filled up. Then went to turn the system back on Boiler would not ignite. Called British Gas out and the engineer could not get the boiler to start and said the circuit board was at fault and replaced it. Boiler ignited great, but went out after many attemps he decided to change another circuit board and transformer to no avail. Linked out the flow switch boiler comes on for 2 mins and then goes out. BG then says must be blocked somewhere so i need a power flush which is not covered by my Homecare 200. Also if this does work i will need a new heat exchanger. I had power flush when BG installed central heating 6 years ago surely then this is covered on lifetime guarantee. My boiler is Potterton 15 HE

gassafeman

It seems like there is still air in the system and possibly the system isn't balanced correctly. It could be that the PCB developed an unrelated fault. There are lots of cheaper options than to go for British Gas.

Get 3 quotes if it is a powerflush that you need.

Goodluck.

Razor

What does the plumber that installed the radiator say?

A powerflush will not clear a blockage!

I'd check:

The pump, (make sure the pump valves are actually open)

2 or 3 port valves.

Feed from make up tank is clear

Vent pipe is clear.

All pipes vented as above suggestion, especially around pump, valves and cylinder.

Did the BG guy check the rest of the system or just play with the boiler?

eco-friendly_2

mm4 wrote: »

Can anybody help.
Had new rad fitted in front room by a good plumber, when he finished doing his connections and turned the water back on to refill the system (gravity fed) the rads downstairs filled up but the upstairs one would fill up tried numerous things and in the end thought we had a airlock, so we left it over night. In the morning we bled the rads and all the rads upstairs filled up. Then went to turn the system back on Boiler would not ignite. Called British Gas out and the engineer could not get the boiler to start and said the circuit board was at fault and replaced it. Boiler ignited great, but went out after many attemps he decided to change another circuit board and transformer to no avail. Linked out the flow switch boiler comes on for 2 mins and then goes out. BG then says must be blocked somewhere so i need a power flush which is not covered by my Homecare 200. Also if this does work i will need a new heat exchanger. I had power flush when BG installed central heating 6 years ago surely then this is covered on lifetime guarantee. My boiler is Potterton 15 HE

When BG installed the system and power flushed it, they will have added inhibitor. Why should it need done again?

heating-eng

plumb1 wrote: »

My views on your post

1-I am still of the opion that BG vastly overcharge, and are a cross between engineers and salesmen.

2-I agree just because a plumber is Corgi Reg, doesn't guarentee a correct instalation, but many due to large firms pushing their fitters,( 1 example of this is Warmfront 1 day exchange ) rather then you local 1 man band/ small company.

3- Bg giving a Lifeline, your having a laugh:rotfl: BG will never do anything for free, bad enough to get them to put right their own co*k ups.

4- Plumbers offering a mains flush are not doing a correct job imo.Not all systems require a flush, a simple TDS test will confirm this.

5-I agree a Powerflush if done correctly should be a min of 4/5 hrs, personaly it takes me an average 6hrs. And should be done to BS7593.

Some makers of Powerflush machines are stating that the whole circuit inc rads can be done together, reducing time taken 3/4hrs , imo this is just to increase sales.

i will agree bg do charge quite alot to do a

heating-eng

junpit wrote: »

Hi

I need some advice. I have a halstead best 60 which consistently overheats (overheat light) and then cuts out. The ignition lockout is lit. It probably happens once a week and I have to switch it off and reset the ignition lockout.

Anyway the boiler suffers from kettling quite badly but all the radiators and water are very hot. Do I need a powerflush or should I try something else?

Its about 10 years old.

Thanks

Darren

Hi Darren

if i was you i would think about changing the boiler the halstead boilers are not the best and the flushing would be cheaper when installing a new boiler


.

Curtain_Man

Well I have a problem and I was reading up all this very usefull advice

my CH system is 22 years old I had a new boiler 12 years ago and I had flushed the rads out before the chap came round, I fitted a new hot water tank and I changed the pump, he did the boiler and the programmer and a few other bits, all been ok for years then I DIY problem ops I burst a pipe and I hit the CH system so I drained it down very quickly at the lower rad drain point fixed the pipe topped up with water and then all was well I didn't fully drain it just enough to stop the burst up stairs..

No this year has been the first time I have started to get problems..

I could hear that the boiler started to make what can be best discribed as a growning sound so i checked the rads for air and sure enough there was air in there and when i did one rad the pump could be heard changing sound it was that noticeable so I had hit the spot there..

So now we have up stair is hot with 70% of the rads working and down stairs nope barely gettting hot.. so whats my list to do

I was after reading all the above going to keep bleeding the rads to try and keep it going till the weather gets warmer and then when it does I will drop out all the rads and flush them out side with the jet wash like I did before.. poss change the 3 way valave as It did used to hum alot.., for the sake of it I will change the pump and then put it all back togeather and refill and then get the chemicals from pump centre and go though what they say..

NOW reading the BG man he says he has to order this stuff to blockage is that what I need


basicly what do I need to buy and have a go at before I have to power flush the system I will look to hire the kit and work it out..

I may be a curtain man now but I was a trained engineer and to say I do DIY is to say David Beckham plays foot ball.. I don't thow nothing away with out looking to fix it first..

Oh I have HUGE magnets on my mains pipe that comes into the house I did this years ago..

Curtain_Man

Up date from what I said above ^^^^^

I have ordered this FX2 to de scale the system I ( you where right Mr BG man they don't stock it and you have to order it ) . I have worked out how to cut into the 22mm pipe work and add in this filter

I am going to put this FX2 in for 5 days to flush and slosh about the system or so then drain the system, take the affect rads off and take out side to flush though, then refit and then re fill with water.. leave that lot in for 5 days or so with the pump on full pushing it all round to clean the descale out and drain that lot out..

then fit new pump. New 3 way valve, change the valaves on the rads as I have noticed that the rads not working seam to have the honey well thermostic valaves on them, i guess they are stuck.. So going back to standard valves and then refill and add FX1 the inhibitor then get the boiler serviced and I hope that will fix my problems and put the house back to the warm house it was before...I have found a pipe with some gunk on it so that could have a very small leak and I am going to fix that as that might be putting air in the system.. I am guessing when the system is cold is when a leak is at it's worse and when hot metal expands and then the leak closes up or reduces.. hmm I will check all the rads out and pipe work I can see...all this air locks are because I had rad covers and I just didn't bleed the valves like I use to because I would have to take the covers off...

I found the plum centre very helpful and reading here was very helpfull I start all this on Saturday when my FX2 comes in...I don't mind doing all the work as my labour is free. So I am happy to chuck some money at new parts If I can do it all for under £350-400 then good stuff..

will let you how I got on and more important any of the fab plummers on here with the great advice if I am doing some thing wrong or I need to do some more work let me know thanks..:T

JJ2010

Hi

Alternatively you can shop around to have the repairs done cheaper?If you live in the London area give blue fire solutions a call they done my friends 5 rad system for only £200 and it came with a guarantee.Every penny that you can save helps i suppose....

JJ