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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> Central heating cleaner https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1577891287 Message started by Natedog on Jan 1^st, 2020, 3:08pm

Title: Central heating cleaner
Post by Natedog on Jan 1^st, 2020, 3:08pm

What a nice start to the new year! Got woken up by her indoors complaining there wasn't anything water. Turns out the pump has packed up. Fortunately toolstation are open and had one on the shelf.

There's loads of sludge in the system, so it's currently running some cleaner through and I'll flush it through a few times this evening.

Toying with fitting one of those magnetic cleany things (magnaclean or similar)

Are they any good? If so, is there a particular favoured brand? And does it matter where in the system they're fitted?

Cheers

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by thescruff on Jan 2^nd, 2020, 2:00pm

I Prefer the Magnaclense and they need to be on the return close to the boiler

Is it an open vented system with a cylinder
?

You could have a problem where the cold feed and the vent meet, a pic showing the pipes from the pump to the header tank would help

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by woodsmith on Jan 2^nd, 2020, 5:21pm

I had a system that was clogged with the black stuff so I fitted two filters, a Magnaclean and a brass one shaped like a cyclone which unfortunately I can't remember the name of. The Magnaclean collected at least 100 times more debris than the other, so much I had to empty it weekly. So definitely worth fitting.

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by Natedog on Jan 3^rd, 2020, 2:33am

Yes, open vented with a copper cylinder and 11 rads.

Can't really get a photo of most of the pipework as it is helpfully under the floor. From memory, the vent is in 22mm and is on the flow pipe from the boiler about a foot before it gets to the pump. The cold feed is in 15mm and joins the return coming from the cylinder coil. The pump (previously the original danfoss ups 15-50 fitted in around 1990 and now a danfoss ups3 15-50/65) was run on the slowest speed

I don't think the system was particularly well laid out when it was installed. There's a problem with reverse flow round the top floor radiators when only the hot water is on. Although this usually isn't a problem, as we have a wood stove that provides most of our heat (it doesn't heat water for rads, but a couple of small PC fans in the corner of doorframes move the air around to nicely heat most of the house) so I just turn the rad valves off.

I think in an ideal world, the entire system would be ripped out and start again from scratch, but being realistic, it isn't going to happen.

But as the boiler is going to need moving / replacing later this year, it would seem like the sensible time to get the plumber to fit a magnaclean for me, particularly if it wants to go next to the boiler

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by thescruff on Jan 5^th, 2020, 8:09pm

Does the header tank get hot?
Are you sucking in air or pumping over the header tank when the pump comes on/off.

Sounds like the system needs some
modifications

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by Natedog on Jan 9^th, 2020, 1:31pm

No, the header doesn't get warm.

It does need some modifications though. I think the problem is the layout of the return pipework, although I did wonder if it might be easier to sort by adding some injector tees to stop the reverse flow. Although as the heating is so rarely used, I'm more inclined to just keep the rads turned off which gets round the problem for now

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by Natedog on Jan 9^th, 2020, 1:33pm

It's looking like the boiler is going to have to be changed in the not too distant future though, as I don't think it's going to be suitable for the new location when the garage is built due to limited flue options. I'll get the guy who doesn't it to fit a magnaclean at the same time :)

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by thescruff on Jan 10^th, 2020, 12:16pm

With the age of the existing boiler, it would be a sooner than later exercise, perhaps on the back wall in the new garage?

Look at Intergas as a replacement and if you haven't got an engineer look on their website for a platinum installer in your area, or ask here.

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by Natedog on Jan 12^th, 2020, 8:37pm

Assuming you're not allowed to vent the exhaust over the boundary, the flue would need to exit vertically. the front and back of the new garage will be near enough all door, and the side that isn't the house will be near enough on the boundary. Even if you are allowed to, it would seem polite to not have the flue out onto next door's drive - we do quite like our neighbours!

Not heard of intergas before. When i used to work in the merchant's, worcester bosch was what all of our regular customers seemed to want. I think that's what the guy who normally looks after the boiler for us still fits as standard

Title: Re: Central heating cleaner
Post by thescruff on Jan 12^th, 2020, 9:47pm

They ain't a patch on Intergas they do a vertical flue which can be used as a sealed system or with the existing open system