Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge please?

What should I do?

Rajinder

On Mon, 17 May 2004 23:33:54 +0100, "Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar Jatt"
wrote:

Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge please?

What should I do?

Rajinder



I think that there is a pretty good chance that it is full of sludge,
Rajinder, especially if the water is brown.

There are three ways to deal with this.

1) Is to follow a method that I have posted a few times which involves
draining as much as you can and then removing the radiators one by
one, taking them outside for a thorough flush through with a hose or
pressure washer. I won't repeat the details again, but you can
search in Google Groups for it. One point is to take great care
because sludge and heating water are a strong dye and you will not
clean them out of a carpet easily if at all. You can flush the pipes
out as you go, carefully from the header tank.

2) Go to a hire shop and rent a power flushing machine. I am not sure
what this would cost, but probably a bit more than £100 for a day.
This technique pumps hot chemical around the circuit and collects the
sludge.

3) Pay somebody to do (2). Shop around. British Gas charge up to
£800 for this and there are plenty of cowboys around charging similar
amounts for what is a very easy job.

After you have the system clear, use a flushing agent according to the
instructions. If the radiators and valves are in a poor state, as
they may be if the system is this bad, then be prepared that you may
have to replace them.

Finally flush clean once more and add inhibitor. This is very cheap
insurance.




..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

sbnipped
3) Pay somebody to do (2). Shop around. British Gas charge up to
£800 for this and there are plenty of cowboys around charging similar
amounts for what is a very easy job.

snipped

I really do object to the above, it infers that it is ok for BG to charge
£800 but not a small business. I hope that you were putting BG in your
cowbys brackets as well.

Steve Dawson

Hi Andy,

Thanks very much for a thorough suggestion. I would buy radiator in
case it needs changing.

Thanks.

Rajinder


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 May 2004 23:33:54 +0100, "Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar Jatt"
wrote:

Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was
very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still
very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water
did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge
please?

What should I do?

Rajinder



I think that there is a pretty good chance that it is full of sludge,
Rajinder, especially if the water is brown.

There are three ways to deal with this.

1) Is to follow a method that I have posted a few times which involves
draining as much as you can and then removing the radiators one by
one, taking them outside for a thorough flush through with a hose or
pressure washer. I won't repeat the details again, but you can
search in Google Groups for it. One point is to take great care
because sludge and heating water are a strong dye and you will not
clean them out of a carpet easily if at all. You can flush the pipes
out as you go, carefully from the header tank.

2) Go to a hire shop and rent a power flushing machine. I am not sure
what this would cost, but probably a bit more than £100 for a day.
This technique pumps hot chemical around the circuit and collects the
sludge.

3) Pay somebody to do (2). Shop around. British Gas charge up to
£800 for this and there are plenty of cowboys around charging similar
amounts for what is a very easy job.

After you have the system clear, use a flushing agent according to the
instructions. If the radiators and valves are in a poor state, as
they may be if the system is this bad, then be prepared that you may
have to replace them.

Finally flush clean once more and add inhibitor. This is very cheap
insurance.




.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Tue, 18 May 2004 06:51:11 +0100, "Stephen Dawson"
wrote:

sbnipped
3) Pay somebody to do (2). Shop around. British Gas charge up to
£800 for this and there are plenty of cowboys around charging similar
amounts for what is a very easy job.

snipped

I really do object to the above, it infers that it is ok for BG to charge
£800 but not a small business. I hope that you were putting BG in your
cowbys brackets as well.

Steve Dawson



I didn't say that at all, and the word is "implies" not "infers".

As far as I'm concerned, BG are the John Wayne of the industry. On
many occasions I have pointed out that they are trading on their brand
and on the "feel good factor" that the unwary have with dealing with
"the gas board". Their prices for most work is substantially
higher than the rest of the industry and their service contracts not
worth the paper upon which they are written.

I don't think that I have ever posted in support of BG.

I see nothing wrong with a heating engineer having a power flushing
machine and using and charging for it where appropriate as part of a
complete service.

However, there are operators around who only do power flushing, charge
up to £800 a time and don't provide the follow up when things go wrong
- e.g. radiators and valves leaking. This sort of price level is
outrageous for the equipment, materials, time and skill involved and
such operators should be avoided.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar Jatt" wrote in message
news:k6bqc.559$JZ4.315@newsfe6-win...
Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge please?

What should I do?

Rajinder



Before you go diving in, sometimes the rubber seal inside the drain point
sticks, even though you think the valve is fully open all you have done is
pulled the nipple out of the washer which has stuck on the valve seat
leaving a 3/16 hole. Either try whacking the drain point to try and dislodge
it or bite the bullet (like I had to once) and remove the whole assembly (it
simply unscrews). Be prepare for a flood/have a bung handy to stop the flow.
When you have drained the system I would recommend replacing the drain point
with a new one, they are only a couple of quid.

Dave

"Dave Gibson" wrote in message
...

"Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar Jatt" wrote in
message
news:k6bqc.559$JZ4.315@newsfe6-win...
Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge please?

What should I do?

Rajinder




Check that any motorised valves on the system are open when you drain the
system. I once wasted several hours before discovering that one.

Adam

"Ch. Rajinder Nijjhar Jatt" wrote in message
news:k6bqc.559$JZ4.315@newsfe6-win...
Hi,

Today I drained the central heating system and the water flow was very
weak a baby ****ing out. I did open the bleeding valves but still very
slow.

Up in the loft tank is still full and I can't understand why water did
not flow fast as it did some years ago.

Do you think the central heating is clogged with scales/sludge please?

What should I do?

Rajinder


Start off by making sure that the drain valve is not blocked or the rubber
washer has become detached and the draining is only through the hole in the
centre of it. Hint take the drain plug completely out of the valve but
beware of the splashing of very dirty water.