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Magnaclean

The Gas Safe Register

Power Flushing | Boiler Replacement | Plumbing

Power Flushing Pictures

We are a small but well established plumbing and heating company based in the Leeds area of West Yorkshire.

Just recently we have been coming across a few badly installed central heating systems that are corroding. This could possibly be due to incorrect installation of the heating system i.e. boiler & radiators.

If the engineer installed your boiler quickly and did not carry out a power flush (which can take up to 4hrs to complete and is usually missed out to save both time and money) then he could be invalidating your boiler warranty, therefore costing you more money at a later date. This will also make the boiler less efficient and cost more to run.

ASK YOURSELF: Did the installer forget to fill in the boiler log book?

IF SO:

There is a Possibly that your boiler has not been installed to the manufacturers recommendations. It may not have been registered with The Gas Safe Register or Building Control and therefore may not have been power flushed !.

Have you had British Gas quoted you over £600.00 for a power flush.

Then we could help you, give us a call today to discuss your needs.

We have the latest technology in power flushing using some of the best chemicals and know how, we can quickly have your system back up and in full working order.

What is power flushing ?

Power flushing is the most efficient and effective method of cleansing a central heating system. The principle is to create a powerful fresh water flow under controlled conditions to remove debris from the heating system. By connecting the power flushing unit to the heating circuit in place of the system pump, boiler or radiator the circuit can be thoroughly cleansed of limescale and corrosion debris. When used in conjunction with a power flush acid cleanser a typical power flush can be completed within 3-4 hours.

The cleaning and treating of central heating systems

All new systems should be pre-commission cleansed in accordance with BS:7593 and Benchmark. This ensures flux residues, excess jointing compounds, mineral oil and other contaminants that can be found in the system following installation, and that can effect the performance of the system or cause component failure, are removed. It is important when installing new boilers into old systems that all the sludge is first removed from the system or this could accumulate in the new boiler and lead to premature failure.

System symptoms

Radiator water black with iron oxide sludge

Heating system slow to warm up

Cold spots in the middle of the radiators

Combination boilers being unable to deliver constant hot water at a stable temperature

Unpleasant boiler noises

Repeated pump failure

radiators need frequent bleeding

leaking radiators from pin holing in the metal

Power flushing will clean a central heating system internally improving radiator performance and heat output.

The power flushing procedure

The Power Flushing pump is connected into the heating system either across the standard circulator pump or across the tails of one radiator or wherever practicable.

Power flushing is a highly effective cleansing operation which works by pumping water at a much higher velocity than usual through the heating system, to loosen and mobilise harmful corrosion deposits and suspend them in the rapidly moving water.

The process is made more effective by specialist cleansing chemicals and an instantaneous flow reversal device which creates turbulence in the radiators to optimise " pick up" .

Once loosened, the unwanted debris is purged from the system with clean water. At the end of the flushing process the system contains fresh clean water, and reinstatement of the system to normal operation takes only a few minutes.

During the process, radiators are individually flushed without removing or disconnecting them from the system by directing the full output of the pump through each radiator separately.

The Power Flushing Pump

Power flushing Problem diagram

SLUDGE

Note: Powerflushing will only cure corrosion related problems. It will not solve any problems arising from faulty components or design or installation faults.

Sludge is the black (mud like) deposit resulting from the reaction between the water in your system and the steel in the radiators (Iron Oxide) which can build up over a period of time in a badly designed or untreated central heating system that will cause circulation problems.
It will damage the radiators causing pin holing and leaks.
It will damage the boiler unit and can cause the main heat exchanger to crack or block.
It can block pipe work.
It will block up the secondary DHW heat exchanger on a combination boiler making the boiler unable to supply a constant flow of hot water (going from hot to cold) and/or boiler lockout.
It will cause the pump to fail and thermostatic radiator valves to stick.
If you have had a new boiler fitted and the system was not cleaned out the manufactures warranty would most likely be void (making very costly repairs).
Can be seen as black "ink like" water when removing or bleading air from a radiator.
Causes radiators to fill up with Hydrogen making people think that its air that needs bleeding on a regular bases.

Please Note when enquiring about a power flush we need to know the following:-

1) How many radiators.

2) Type and make of boiler. (this is so we know what chemical to use as some of the boilers have aluminium heat exchangers.

3) Symptoms that are present on the heating system.

Boiler Replacement

As from 1st April 2005 99.9% boilers have to be high efficiency boilers e.g Condensing boilers and be registered with Building Control.
Installers have to be part L certified to issue a certificate.

Condensing Boilers

If you looking to replace your existing gas central heating boiler, you should consider buying a Condensing Boiler. Although these typically cost £100-£300 more to buy and install than a conventional modern boiler, they should save this extra cost in as little as 4 years.

What is a Condensing Boiler?

A condensing boiler is a high efficiency modern boiler that incorporates an extra heat exchanger so that the hot exhaust gases lose much of their energy to pre-heat the water in the boiler system. When working at peak efficiency, the water vapour produced in the combustion process condenses back into liquid form releasing the latent heat of vaporisation. A side effect is that this water, known as condensate, which is usually acidic, has to be piped away to a drain or soak away.

Do Condensing Boilers Work?

YES! Although not many homes in Britain have condensing boilers, over half the new boilers in the Netherlands have been of this type for a number of years. The National Energy Foundation carried out extensive monitoring work on new homes built in Milton Keynes in the late 1980s, and is was found that operating efficiencies of 95% or better could be obtained in normal use.

Combination boilers

Combination boilers or "Combis" are a particularly attractive form of heating because they dispense with the need for the hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard, and also the large cold water cistern ("tank") plus small header cistern in the loft which are otherwise needed in conventional vented heating systems. All the major components are housed in one unit which makes them very convenient to the installer. They are especially suitable for smaller households with undemanding lifestyles. They are less suited to larger households although the very latest models seem more capable than their recent predecessors. They are great for mains pressure showers and the ones I would recommend have a hot water storage facility which will deliver hot water to the tap sooner than a conventional combi.

Plumbing

Installing new radiators and thermostatic radiator valves.
Installation and upgrade of central heating systems.
Installation of hot and cold water systems.
Installing new hot water cylinders (vented or un-vented).
Servicing and repair of gas central heating boilers.
Plumbing maintenance and repair work.
Complete bathroom refurbishment including tiling.
Unvented cylinder installation, repair and service

Tel: 0113 250 2743

Mob: 07774 479682