I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish radiator
whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have used cleaning
chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

On Wednesday, 8 March 2017 15:37:17 UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish radiator
whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have used cleaning
chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

What you need is to flush with a hosepipe and mains pressure water.
(Garden hose?)

Be sure you don't over pressure any radiators or boilers etc.

On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 3:37:17 PM UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
........there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am

I have had the same problem a couple of times in the past and cured it using an air compressor with car tyre adaptor. Didn't need to get out my big compressor - a cheap Lidl combined jump starter/compressor was all that was required.

CRB

On 08/03/2017 15:37, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?

Electrician's draw tape.

But I cannot see how this would remove the blockage unless you are
wishing to smash up some crud.


--
Adam

harry wrote in
:

On Wednesday, 8 March 2017 15:37:17 UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there
is a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited -
and the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians
used to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires
through conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish
radiator whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have
used cleaning chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

What you need is to flush with a hosepipe and mains pressure water.
(Garden hose?)

Be sure you don't over pressure any radiators or boilers etc.

Tried it several times to no avail.

The flow is restircted and is a mere trickle when I open the drain valve
(with the valve at the other end turned off.)

The pipe that the plumber changed when moving a radiator was very clean -
but at the connection to the manifold it had a greyish deposit that had
been restircint that particular radiator. Unfortunately I had to be out at
a wedding the day the plumber found the problem. I had asked him to re-pipe
rather than extend the pipes. He showed me the evidence after the ceiling
had been boarded. If I had been around I would have asked him to check each
connection!

I recall the deposit broke off - being fairly hard - hence not responding
to flushing.I am hopeful that a poke with something will dislodge it.

ARW wrote:

DerbyBorn wrote:

I also remember electricians used to have a spring steel narrow
tape used for pulling wires through conduit - What was that
called?

Electrician's draw tape.

All the sparkies this way call them fish tapes.

DerbyBorn wrote in
2.236:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

Another reason for wanting to go up the pipe from the radiator is because I
wouldn't know which connection at the manifold to disturb.

On 3/8/2017 3:37 PM, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish radiator
whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have used cleaning
chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

I had a radiator on 10 mm which never gave a decent output (put in by a
proper plumber). Very awkward access too, but I could see one pipe was a
bit flattened at a tight bend. With 10 mm end feed it is also possible
to create a partial blockage from excess solder. With mine, I bit the
bullet and went back to a section of 22 mm supply and return, and took
15 mm feeds.

On Wednesday, 8 March 2017 15:37:17 UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish radiator
whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have used cleaning
chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

Fish tape or draw tape. You'd probably have more luck with one of those cassette style drain unblockers that has a spiral of 5mm or so, and a handle to spin it. Cut off the leading swollen bit.

In some cases, but often not due to poor flexibility, you can also unblock using iron wire.

Having seen the mess corrosion products make of 22mm CH pipe I can't imagine installing microbore.


NT

In some cases, but often not due to poor flexibility, you can also
unblock using iron wire.

Having seen the mess corrosion products make of 22mm CH pipe I can't
imagine installing microbore.


NT


Mine was put in in 1988. Had no corrosion problems as I have always
included an inhibitor. I suspect the blockage is debris from the original
instalation. The pipes are all hidden behind platerboard hence my
reluctance to open up the system or change anything.

DerbyBorn formulated on Wednesday :
Another reason for wanting to go up the pipe from the radiator is because I
wouldn't know which connection at the manifold to disturb.

Turn all radiators fed from the manifold off at the rad and just run
the problem one - it should then be the pipe which gets hot. This
assumes there is another not fed from the manifold, which serves as a
bypass.

Harry Bloomfield wrote in
news
DerbyBorn formulated on Wednesday :
Another reason for wanting to go up the pipe from the radiator is
because I wouldn't know which connection at the manifold to disturb.

Turn all radiators fed from the manifold off at the rad and just run
the problem one - it should then be the pipe which gets hot. This
assumes there is another not fed from the manifold, which serves as a
bypass.


I had thought of that - just concerned that conduction in the copper might
make it less obvious. I still have the worry then of making a good joint
again - although I should be okay. Will the pipes have olives or will they
have flared ends? Each radiator is fed from the manifold.

DerbyBorn explained :
Will the pipes have olives or will they
have flared ends? Each radiator is fed from the manifold.

I'm not a plumber/heating engineer and have never come across the
microbore, so I don't really know how the ends are terminated. I
suspect they would use an olive though.

A search of Wiki suggests one of three methods are used - solder, flare
and compression.

Harry Bloomfield wrote in news9s478
:

DerbyBorn explained :
Will the pipes have olives or will they
have flared ends? Each radiator is fed from the manifold.

I'm not a plumber/heating engineer and have never come across the
microbore, so I don't really know how the ends are terminated. I
suspect they would use an olive though.

A search of Wiki suggests one of three methods are used - solder, flare
and compression.

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

DerbyBorn used his keyboard to write :


https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

Soldered joints part way along the pipe, but at the manifold I would
guess at compression joints with olives.

On 08/03/2017 15:37, DerbyBorn wrote:
I have a couple of sluggish radiators and I believe (from experience
with another that got re-piped due to a kitchen extension) that there is
a partial blockage where the pipe connects to the manifold. I am
reluctant to work on the manifold as access from above is limited - and
the ceiling below is new.

I would like to try and poke something up the pipe from the radiator
valve end.

I had thought of net curtain wire and I also remember electricians used
to have a spring steel narrow tape used for pulling wires through
conduit - What was that called?
What do you think might work?

I have tried flushing it by opening the drain on the sluggish radiator
whilst slightly raising the pressure in the system. I have used cleaning
chemicals.

SWMBO now wants a heated towel rail so I need to improve the flow.

Picture of manifold when last seen:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

The topmost plastic to copper pushfit connector is going
to leak in about 3 years time. The plastic pipe has a
sharp and unsupported bend immediately before the
connector. This will impose a lateral force on the O ring
and could well make it distort and weep after a while.

Most of the push fit suppliers have special galvanised
clamps that support a right angled bend and prevent its
tendancy to try and straighten. Their installation
instructions generally show how to avoid or mitigate
this problem.

Also the hole in the joist that the plastic pipes go through
should be in the centre of the web. Who drilled it in that
location ?.

Andrew wrote in news9urmc$129s$1
@gioia.aioe.org:

https://goo.gl/photos/NzGn9i7YHnsPfHSq7

I see what you mean!

The routing forces a sharper bend than is necessary as well.

I despare of plumbers. They might be able to join pipes - but many are not
capable of doing a decent job of much else.