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Central heating
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By *elnkaz OP Couple
over a year ago
cheshire |
Any engineers out there that could possibly help.. my boiler is only 3 yrs old but because it been put onto an old radiator system it's not working correctly,,,,so an engineer told us. Radiators aren't getting hot water gets hot when it wants too,tank switches itself off. Sooooo my daughter is a plumber although not gas registered and has looked into how to flush the system, we have looked at getting professional in hmmmmm yeah and the cost of hiring a machine and do it ourselves to the expense of "it going to be a messy job mum " so question there is is there a cheaper alternative to clean out the radiators or should we get professionals in,,, TIA |
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I would drain the system first to see how dirty the water is and if it actually needs cleaning. If the water is bad, take the radiators of the wall and flush them out in the garden with a hosepipe. Refit, and refill the system including a good quality cleaning treatment (about £10-20) and run the system for a few weeks or longer if you can. Drain the system again and maybe flush the rads with a hose pipe depending how bad the water comes out. Refill with a good inhibitor chemical (£10-15, can buy both from screwfix, b and q etc). Not as good as a full flush but more than adequate to get a system up and running again. Assuming that is the problem, I am not an engineer but it could well be something else causing the problem.
Did the boiler work properly when it was installed or has it always been like this? What boiler is it and is the engineer from the company that fitted it? |
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By *elnkaz OP Couple
over a year ago
cheshire |
"I would drain the system first to see how dirty the water is and if it actually needs cleaning. If the water is bad, take the radiators of the wall and flush them out in the garden with a hosepipe. Refit, and refill the system including a good quality cleaning treatment (about £10-20) and run the system for a few weeks or longer if you can. Drain the system again and maybe flush the rads with a hose pipe depending how bad the water comes out. Refill with a good inhibitor chemical (£10-15, can buy both from screwfix, b and q etc). Not as good as a full flush but more than adequate to get a system up and running again. Assuming that is the problem, I am not an engineer but it could well be something else causing the problem.
Did the boiler work properly when it was installed or has it always been like this? What boiler is it and is the engineer from the company that fitted it? "
the boiler is only 3 yrs old had problems for while. Last engineer said to have it flushed out |
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"I would drain the system first to see how dirty the water is and if it actually needs cleaning. If the water is bad, take the radiators of the wall and flush them out in the garden with a hosepipe. Refit, and refill the system including a good quality cleaning treatment (about £10-20) and run the system for a few weeks or longer if you can. Drain the system again and maybe flush the rads with a hose pipe depending how bad the water comes out. Refill with a good inhibitor chemical (£10-15, can buy both from screwfix, b and q etc). Not as good as a full flush but more than adequate to get a system up and running again. Assuming that is the problem, I am not an engineer but it could well be something else causing the problem.
Did the boiler work properly when it was installed or has it always been like this? What boiler is it and is the engineer from the company that fitted it? the boiler is only 3 yrs old had problems for while. Last engineer said to have it flushed out "
They always say to flush it out. It is a standard get out clause and/or moneyspinner. Look into common faults with whatever boiler you have. Lots of boilers fail far sooner than three years nowadays, the problem is usually something and nothing, mainly cheaply built electrical components but most engineers don't have the knowledge and/or interest in getting to the bottom of the issue and will lay the blame on old radiators/needing flushing. When flushing doesn't work, they will just say that your boiler is beyond repair and try to sell you a new one. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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It is a relatively simple task but yes messy or can be ,I tend to put fernox x800 in for a couple of weeks then drain ,turn off rad valves remove rads and wash out with hose pipes outside property tapping gently with rubber mallet to loosen any debris inside then wash out all pipes with hose pipe connected individual from the filling loop ,no good trying to power flush in my opinion this is the best way I found for results |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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All of the above advice isn't really going to work and isn't solving the problem.
Just flushing the radiators out won't work, you need a power flush.
For a plumber to do it you'll be looking at probably around £300-£500 and it'll take a full day to complete when done properly.
Best plan of attack would be get some sentinel X800 into the system and run it overnight.
Get a vibraclean attachment for a hammer drill and use it on all the radiators the next day.
Then it's ready for the power flush to be set up, like I said. It takes all day to do properly. You attack each radiator individually by closing the valves to the others off, boiler manufacturer recommendation is to get the TDS of the water to within 10% of tap water quality.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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how old are the radiator valves? i've worked on a couple of systems where the washers in every rad valve has perished and stuck in the off position before now |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system."
A lot of people dismiss powerflushing when installing a new boiler....funny really since it invalidates the warranty if it's not done.
I've done boiler swaps on older systems where the system water has looked like thick black paint, it's taken me two days to clean it all out fully |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system.
A lot of people dismiss powerflushing when installing a new boiler....funny really since it invalidates the warranty if it's not done.
I've done boiler swaps on older systems where the system water has looked like thick black paint, it's taken me two days to clean it all out fully "
I'm not a heating engineer but worked in the design and manufacture of boilers for a long time, it was a disheartening industry to be in due to the amount of cowboys around.
Cutting corners may save a couple quid initially but people usually regret it a couple years down the line. I've seen brand new boilers totally fucked within 18 months.
If you spend a couple days cleaning a system then sounds like you're one of the few doing it properly  |
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"All of the above advice isn't really going to work and isn't solving the problem.
Just flushing the radiators out won't work, you need a power flush.
For a plumber to do it you'll be looking at probably around £300-£500 and it'll take a full day to complete when done properly.
Best plan of attack would be get some sentinel X800 into the system and run it overnight.
Get a vibraclean attachment for a hammer drill and use it on all the radiators the next day.
Then it's ready for the power flush to be set up, like I said. It takes all day to do properly. You attack each radiator individually by closing the valves to the others off, boiler manufacturer recommendation is to get the TDS of the water to within 10% of tap water quality.
"
How exactly is a powerflush going to solve this couples problem? Unless you diagnose that sediment is actually causing the problem then a power flush is a waste of time and money. Also if the sediment is so bad it is likey to have damaged something else which is what is actually causing the boiler not to work. In this case the problem will still be there and need fixing. Fix whatever is wrong and the boiler will work without having been powerflushed so it is unnecessary.
Power flushing is like the colonic irrigation of plumbing. Bit of a fad, occasionally appropriate/necessary and will leave you feeling violated.
Not bad work if you can get it though, £500 a day for cleaning something.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Not going to start massive quotes but you obviously have no idea the damage a dirty system will do to a new boiler.
And I can't diagnose what's wrong over fab, but since the OP mentioned their daughter is a plumber and is looking into powerflushing......that's where I got the idea from.
And with it being a new boiler and it's having trouble, I'd wager a very good bet that its components failing due to the system not being cleaned, all of which will be out of any warranty due to it not being cleaned
But yeah you're right.....it's a fad. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Do you know where the drain tap on your radiator system is? If you can connect a hose pipe to it keeping it flowing downwards get that outside.
Drain and refill the system a few times remembering to bleed the air out each time. When the water comes out clean add your cleaner to the system, refill and run it for a week or 2, then drain it again.
Check and consider replacing radiator valves if they are old. Maybe upgrade to thermostat valves?
Refill and hope it works.
You also indicated problems with the hot water, this is a different circuit, if it is also a problem you have other problems that have nothing to do with dirty radiators. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"All of the above advice isn't really going to work and isn't solving the problem.
Just flushing the radiators out won't work, you need a power flush.
For a plumber to do it you'll be looking at probably around £300-£500 and it'll take a full day to complete when done properly.
Best plan of attack would be get some sentinel X800 into the system and run it overnight.
Get a vibraclean attachment for a hammer drill and use it on all the radiators the next day.
Then it's ready for the power flush to be set up, like I said. It takes all day to do properly. You attack each radiator individually by closing the valves to the others off, boiler manufacturer recommendation is to get the TDS of the water to within 10% of tap water quality.
How exactly is a powerflush going to solve this couples problem? Unless you diagnose that sediment is actually causing the problem then a power flush is a waste of time and money. Also if the sediment is so bad it is likey to have damaged something else which is what is actually causing the boiler not to work. In this case the problem will still be there and need fixing. Fix whatever is wrong and the boiler will work without having been powerflushed so it is unnecessary.
Power flushing is like the colonic irrigation of plumbing. Bit of a fad, occasionally appropriate/necessary and will leave you feeling violated.
Not bad work if you can get it though, £500 a day for cleaning something.
"
We only have the opinion of the engineer who has looked at it and advised a flush to work from, no it may not need doing as the problem could be something else but we have no idea.
The advise that's being given on flushing has been given as that's what the diagnosis has been by the only person who has actually seen the system.
The best advice would probably be to get a second opinion, if it turns out that flushing is required then the info given on flushing stands. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Not going to start massive quotes but you obviously have no idea the damage a dirty system will do to a new boiler.
And I can't diagnose what's wrong over fab, but since the OP mentioned their daughter is a plumber and is looking into powerflushing......that's where I got the idea from.
And with it being a new boiler and it's having trouble, I'd wager a very good bet that its components failing due to the system not being cleaned, all of which will be out of any warranty due to it not being cleaned
But yeah you're right.....it's a fad. "
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system."
The thing with powerflushing is that in principle you cant deny that doing it is better than not. Of course it is better to have everything completely clean and like new, in the real world though there is a trade off between cost and necessity and in a lot of instances powerflushing is neither worthwhile or appropriate and it is a lot of money to spend on the off chance that it might work.
If you are spending thousands on a new boiler then it makes sense to try and guarantee its longevity so flushing is appropriate. Powerflushing an already tempremental boiler that has been running on a dirty system for 3 years is a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted. It is worth a shot if you have £500 quid to throw away, but just make sure to have some extra money to fix what is actually wrong when it still doesn`t work. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system.
The thing with powerflushing is that in principle you cant deny that doing it is better than not. Of course it is better to have everything completely clean and like new, in the real world though there is a trade off between cost and necessity and in a lot of instances powerflushing is neither worthwhile or appropriate and it is a lot of money to spend on the off chance that it might work.
If you are spending thousands on a new boiler then it makes sense to try and guarantee its longevity so flushing is appropriate. Powerflushing an already tempremental boiler that has been running on a dirty system for 3 years is a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted. It is worth a shot if you have £500 quid to throw away, but just make sure to have some extra money to fix what is actually wrong when it still doesn`t work."
I don't think anyone is saying to powerflush just on the off chance it may solve there problem or that it is necessary or appropriate in this instance as we don't know. It may be though depending on what the problem actually is and always on a new install.
If it was my 3 year old boiler and the system hadn't been flushed before install I would still want it done now, although it would take additional work to make it really worthwhile. I accept not everybody may deem the cost worth it but then you takes your chances. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system."
What cowboys did it? Name and shame!
I'm currently getting quotes and everyone inc flushing!
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"Not going to start massive quotes but you obviously have no idea the damage a dirty system will do to a new boiler.
And I can't diagnose what's wrong over fab, but since the OP mentioned their daughter is a plumber and is looking into powerflushing......that's where I got the idea from.
And with it being a new boiler and it's having trouble, I'd wager a very good bet that its components failing due to the system not being cleaned, all of which will be out of any warranty due to it not being cleaned
But yeah you're right.....it's a fad. "
I know exactlty what damage it CAN do, i also know how dirty systems can get and have no issues and how many new boilers on new systems also breakdown. Boilers quality is the main factor, some will run for years regardless, some will fail repeatedly without provocation even in the most perfect environments. The quality of installation is also as important as many systems are ruined by too much flux remaining or the inhibitor being "forgotten". None of these powerflush will cure.
I`m glad you pointed out that you cant diagnose the boiler over fab as this is why i am against people recommending powerflushing as a matter of course. I appreciate you where going off them saying that their engineer has already diagnosed it so fair enough, but i would never rely on a recommendation of a boiler engineer i didn't know and trust. There are too many that are incompetent at best, at worst they are straight rip off merchants. |
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system.
The thing with powerflushing is that in principle you cant deny that doing it is better than not. Of course it is better to have everything completely clean and like new, in the real world though there is a trade off between cost and necessity and in a lot of instances powerflushing is neither worthwhile or appropriate and it is a lot of money to spend on the off chance that it might work.
If you are spending thousands on a new boiler then it makes sense to try and guarantee its longevity so flushing is appropriate. Powerflushing an already tempremental boiler that has been running on a dirty system for 3 years is a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted. It is worth a shot if you have £500 quid to throw away, but just make sure to have some extra money to fix what is actually wrong when it still doesn`t work.
I don't think anyone is saying to powerflush just on the off chance it may solve there problem or that it is necessary or appropriate in this instance as we don't know. It may be though depending on what the problem actually is and always on a new install.
If it was my 3 year old boiler and the system hadn't been flushed before install I would still want it done now, although it would take additional work to make it really worthwhile. I accept not everybody may deem the cost worth it but then you takes your chances."
The engineer that looked at it is probably just recommending it on the off chance for a start and it was a given that people would drop in singing its praises. Powerflushing is always misrepresented/sold as a cure when really it is a preventative measure. Even then i can`t help but think it is more worthwhile putting the money towards new radiators and piping. Plus there is also the consideration of how many times i could fix the boiler IF it did break down for that £500? I`m lucky though because i do plumbing work and know it`s not quite the technical job that some people think/like to make out. Plumbers are literally stealing a living, thinking of giving up my other trades but the trouble is i have a conscience and would soon go bust. lol |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"While true that there's plenty of incompetent heating engineers about who will say power flushing is the answer to everything it is also true that it's crazy to put a new boiler on a system that hasn't been power flushed first.
Even if flushing isn't the answer to your problems (it really could be) I would still want it done if it wasn't before. In fact you really need to remove the boiler and flush it in isolation then treat with a strong acid cleaner before reinstalling onto the newly flushed system. Treat the system with Fernox straight away, don't try and save a few quid on a cheaper inhibitor. I would also install something like a Fernox TF1 filter.
Fernox is good but anyone saying chuck a load in a dirty system and it will be fine really have no idea.
I don't really expect you to do all the above as very few do but it's what I would do to my own system.
The thing with powerflushing is that in principle you cant deny that doing it is better than not. Of course it is better to have everything completely clean and like new, in the real world though there is a trade off between cost and necessity and in a lot of instances powerflushing is neither worthwhile or appropriate and it is a lot of money to spend on the off chance that it might work.
If you are spending thousands on a new boiler then it makes sense to try and guarantee its longevity so flushing is appropriate. Powerflushing an already tempremental boiler that has been running on a dirty system for 3 years is a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted. It is worth a shot if you have £500 quid to throw away, but just make sure to have some extra money to fix what is actually wrong when it still doesn`t work.
I don't think anyone is saying to powerflush just on the off chance it may solve there problem or that it is necessary or appropriate in this instance as we don't know. It may be though depending on what the problem actually is and always on a new install.
If it was my 3 year old boiler and the system hadn't been flushed before install I would still want it done now, although it would take additional work to make it really worthwhile. I accept not everybody may deem the cost worth it but then you takes your chances.
The engineer that looked at it is probably just recommending it on the off chance for a start and it was a given that people would drop in singing its praises. Powerflushing is always misrepresented/sold as a cure when really it is a preventative measure. Even then i can`t help but think it is more worthwhile putting the money towards new radiators and piping. Plus there is also the consideration of how many times i could fix the boiler IF it did break down for that £500? I`m lucky though because i do plumbing work and know it`s not quite the technical job that some people think/like to make out. Plumbers are literally stealing a living, thinking of giving up my other trades but the trouble is i have a conscience and would soon go bust. lol"
Even on a totally new system with all new pipework and rads a flush is still recommended. Seen plenty of heat exchangers with pin holes in where flux or other debris has eaten through, You don't replace even one of those for £500.
Then guess what, it's the manufacturers fault the 18 month old boiler is leaking  |
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"
Even on a totally new system with all new pipework and rads a flush is still recommended. Seen plenty of heat exchangers with pin holes in where flux or other debris has eaten through, You don't replace even one of those for £500.
Then guess what, it's the manufacturers fault the 18 month old boiler is leaking "
No, it`s the punters fault for buying a boiler with a shit heat exchanger, and maybe the installers for letting all that flux and debris into the system. My boiler is probably near 18 years old and still on its original heat exchanger with minimal maintainance and no inhibitor. Definitely no powerflush. I`ve just put a bigger rad in the front bedroom and the water was blackbut the boiler still works fine. The only part i have ever had to buy was a diaphragm, about £3 but i can get a heat exhanger for a fraction of the £500. It is only a cheap boiler aswell (ariston) so why do new (even some expensive) ones fail? It is the manufacturers cost cutting so yes, it is the manufacturers fault too, esp when they are basically passing on the burden of cost and responsibility in the name of profit with their nifty little disclaimer.
Proper research is required when choosing a boiler and that includes not only the cost of replacement parts but also how often they are reported to fail and how hard they are to replace. Don't rely on brand name alone, even the best brands have some crap models know to fail.
By all means powerflush, if only to valiadate the warranty but don't think it is going to save the day. Neither will the warranty probably but that is another argument. I will just say to look into how some companies treat warranty claims.
I personally would save my money, not use too much flux or wire wool on my pipes, and rinse the system with water before hanging the boiler. Once commissioned treat with a cleaner and run for a few weeks, drain and refil, including inhibitor. Job done, cost less than 30 in chemicals and a few hours time. If i did need to flush old pipes I would do it myself and hire the equipment rather than have someone mug me off for £500 for a days unskilled labour.
If the boiler does breakdown, so be it. Chances are it would have happened even if it was flushed (and most likely nothing to do with the wet side of things anyway. I.e. pcb, gas valve, air switch etc) Eitherway, i could have it up and running again for less than £500. I can get a new boiler for less than £500 and a tamed gas plumber that will hang and certify it for a favour and not even a sexual one at that..I know not everyone is in this position but regardless, boilers aren't that big a deal until the installers try to justify their wages, then every scare story and unlikely situation gets brought out for the hard sell and people buy into it because they don't know any better. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"All of the above advice isn't really going to work and isn't solving the problem.
Just flushing the radiators out won't work, you need a power flush.
For a plumber to do it you'll be looking at probably around £300-£500 and it'll take a full day to complete when done properly.
Best plan of attack would be get some sentinel X800 into the system and run it overnight.
Get a vibraclean attachment for a hammer drill and use it on all the radiators the next day.
Then it's ready for the power flush to be set up, like I said. It takes all day to do properly. You attack each radiator individually by closing the valves to the others off, boiler manufacturer recommendation is to get the TDS of the water to within 10% of tap water quality.
"
This, indeed. Never want to leave X800 in for longer than a day. I have seen it eaten through aluminium heat exchangers. Does sound like there may be another issue though if its only just happened. This is an issue that becomes progressive rather than sudden. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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This could be a dodgy diverted valve. Bad wiring. Flow and returns reversed. A blocked return is possible but certainly not a dead cert for a power flush.
Also, "flushing" the system, as per boiler manufacturers instructions is not a power flush. Common misconception there.
Also also, if it's a Worcester boiler, they will honour their boiler guarantee for at least two visits, even if there is evidence of no flushing. All other manufacturers have limited warranties with stipulations. |
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"This could be a dodgy diverted valve. Bad wiring. Flow and returns reversed. A blocked return is possible but certainly not a dead cert for a power flush.
Also, "flushing" the system, as per boiler manufacturers instructions is not a power flush. Common misconception there.
Also also, if it's a Worcester boiler, they will honour their boiler guarantee for at least two visits, even if there is evidence of no flushing. All other manufacturers have limited warranties with stipulations."
Phwoar |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"This thread reminds me why I got out of the industry, too many Bob a jobs.
You found a way out?!!.... What's it like? Can I come too? "
Sorry mate you're not in the clique  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"This thread reminds me why I got out of the industry, too many Bob a jobs.
You found a way out?!!.... What's it like? Can I come too?
Sorry mate you're not in the clique "
 life can be so cruel! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I had three different companies out to a boiler issue when my boiler was turning itself off intermittantly or not kicking in at all. Three different tones of sharp intakes of breath. One guy was very concerned about his parking - in central Edinburgh, like he'd never been here before - so left after five minutes with a shrug. The second guy said as the fault was intemittant I'd have to wait until it failed completely. He then asked to use my bathroom before leaving. After he'd gone I found he'd loosened a wingnut holding the cistern so water was pouring from it. I think he meant to create a small leak so I'd get them to send him back for an emergency but it whad been turned so much that it was obvious he'd done it. The last guy just admitted he didn't know what the issue was.
So long story longer: get a professional who knows what he's doing. The above were all allegedly professional companies, not cowboy freelancers. I finally found a guy who was an LPG expert and he's been my regular guy ever since. |
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"This could be a dodgy diverted valve. Bad wiring. Flow and returns reversed. A blocked return is possible but certainly not a dead cert for a power flush.
Also, "flushing" the system, as per boiler manufacturers instructions is not a power flush. Common misconception there.
Also also, if it's a Worcester boiler, they will honour their boiler guarantee for at least two visits, even if there is evidence of no flushing. All other manufacturers have limited warranties with stipulations."
This man speaks sense. A few earlier posters also pointed out there is likely more amiss than a powerflush will sort. |
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"This thread reminds me why I got out of the industry, too many Bob a jobs."
I don`t do bad for a "bob a job". For example the director of a company I work for specifically chose me to refurb his 84 year old nans bathroom over the plumbers, tillers and joiners he uses for contract work and despite the fact his son runs a plumbing and electrical business. Why? because he knows I do it right. Same reason I get all of my work. Coincidentally I was also offered work fitting bathrooms for one of the national diy chains. There is more but I think that is enough.
I`ve been in the building trade a long time and I`m not some brain dead monkey or chancer. I am quite sure I have more experience and capability than your short spell "working in boiler design" could have given you. Besides, I am not the one blindly advising an expensive procedure that most likely won`t fix the problem. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"This thread reminds me why I got out of the industry, too many Bob a jobs.
I don`t do bad for a "bob a job". For example the director of a company I work for specifically chose me to refurb his 84 year old nans bathroom over the plumbers, tillers and joiners he uses for contract work and despite the fact his son runs a plumbing and electrical business. Why? because he knows I do it right. Same reason I get all of my work. Coincidentally I was also offered work fitting bathrooms for one of the national diy chains. There is more but I think that is enough.
I`ve been in the building trade a long time and I`m not some brain dead monkey or chancer. I am quite sure I have more experience and capability than your short spell "working in boiler design" could have given you. Besides, I am not the one blindly advising an expensive procedure that most likely won`t fix the problem. "
Now then gents, let's play nice. A difference of opinion on plumbing and heating problems on a sex site forum needn't devolve in to a spat |
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Back to the op (sorry for the slight derailment). If you did want to give powerflushing a go, it shouldn't be a messy job and if your daughter is a plumber operating the machine is straight forward enough after reading the instructions. HSS hire have them for £43 for one day and £21.45 for extra days or £53.63 for the weekend. No harm in cleaning it out as long as you understand it may not fix the issue (and it`s not costing too much to find out).
What make and model boiler do you have? When you say the tank switches itself off are you talking about the circulation pump at the side of the hot water tank? Does the actual burner stay lit when you turn the heating on but the radiators don't get warm at all? Does it light and go out straight away when turned on or does it cycle on and off faster than normal? Where did you find the engineer who looked at it? As lisalipgloss proved, they aren't always up to the job.
At this point I do owe the moriarty man a small apology, after re-reading the thread, he did agree that a second opinion is a good idea so I was a bit harsh accusing him of "blindly" advising powerflushing. I stand behind everything else I wrote but for that I am sorry.
Search out a good, recommended engineer so you are not just wasting money on call out fees without any result. In the mean time pay close attention to what the boiler is actually doing to save the engineer some time and give a better insight to the problem. Post your findings here and someone may recognize the symptoms and pinpoint the issue or at least eliminate some of the potential problems. There may even be a fault finding flow chart available online for your boiler (sometimes it is even included in the owners manual). I`m not suggesting you take anything apart yourself but there are things that can be checked just by observation, the charts are also good to give to the engineer because they will have wiring diagrams and also different boilers can have their quirks, even though they all operate on the same principal. |
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"This thread reminds me why I got out of the industry, too many Bob a jobs.
I don`t do bad for a "bob a job". For example the director of a company I work for specifically chose me to refurb his 84 year old nans bathroom over the plumbers, tillers and joiners he uses for contract work and despite the fact his son runs a plumbing and electrical business. Why? because he knows I do it right. Same reason I get all of my work. Coincidentally I was also offered work fitting bathrooms for one of the national diy chains. There is more but I think that is enough.
I`ve been in the building trade a long time and I`m not some brain dead monkey or chancer. I am quite sure I have more experience and capability than your short spell "working in boiler design" could have given you. Besides, I am not the one blindly advising an expensive procedure that most likely won`t fix the problem.
Now then gents, let's play nice. A difference of opinion on plumbing and heating problems on a sex site forum needn't devolve in to a spat "
I was nice, I didn`t even swear or anything.  Only fair I respond to being labeled a bob a job though and besides it is more interesting than some other posts in the lounge.  |
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