fly boy3 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Hi all, three months ago I had new boiler installed. Plumber put some stuff into the installation, and was due to remove it and flush system in a months time. Since Covic19 arrived he is in self isolation and I cannot get hold of him. Is this stuff swirling round in my system ok for a good while, or should it be removed sooner or later. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Do you know what the "stuff" is FB3? Has he left a carton or a bottle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Should not be a problem in the short term. The flush is there to clean out the system of any flux that may remain after installation or if boiler is fitted to an old heating system it is to clear out the black sludge [ iron oxide ] that forms over time in any central heating system and so improve boiler performance/life. The system is then refilled with a preservative a bit like the coolant in a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flight1 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Find out what cleaner your plumber has used, because some are stronger than others and have maximum time allowed before it must be flushed out. read the manufactures instructions and go by that . 3 months is far to long in my experience, get it power flushed and refilled with fresh central heating inhibitor/protector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Hi fb3 can,t you ask the plumber if you should be concerned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 As an aside, I've tried all those Fernox type cleaners and preservatives but the best by far is ethylene glycol car antifreeze (Bluecol etc.) dozed at 1 litre per radiator (regardless of radiator size). Car antifreeze is good for much higher temperatures than a central heating system can get to and is good for steel, iron, aluminium, copper, brass and magnesium so any metal in a central heating system won't react with it. I find that after 2 years the water is still clear and I now leave it for 5 years before draining and refilling. My system, including the boiler, is 25 years old, one of the radiators and the hot water tank are original and the system is still silent in operation (and it's an 'open system). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 That's an interesting thought Wingman.....such things are very much on my mind at the moment as I'm just about to do some work on my CH system (fit two new radiators) so I'm about to drain & refill my system. I've always used Sentinel products (X100 inhibitor) & this is used in a much lower concentration. Their recommendation is 1L of inhibitor to dose a typical system of up to 10 radiators. My caravan has an Alde wet CH system & that uses car antifreeze (VW G13+ spec if you are interested) but I guess freezing is much more of an issue with caravans than the system in your house. As I understand it the reason for the use of inhibitor is to reduce the reaction between the different metals used. A typical home CH system will have steel radiators, a cast iron heat exchanger (in older boilers...copper or stainless steel in newer boilers) & of course copper/brass in the pipework so quite a mixture & probably quite different to that found in a typical engine (not much copper in these...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 Thanks for replies lads. Do not know what he put in the system, but he did mention that he had fitted a magnetic filter Adey ? Will try to get hold of him on mobile to show my concern. Are plumbers working at all due to the lock down ? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Just reread the op and yes it is time the stuff was out. My system is 55 years old with mostly original radiators and pipe work. I think having soft water from a well and a change every 5 years with new inhibitor has helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 You should check the details of the boilers guarantee which may state what should be done. Make certain it is done as the guaranttee lasts many years but requires annual service ( cleaning magnetic filter etc) Details were on the boiler makers website when I checked the various makes before choosing. My recent experience of having the boiler replaced was that the heating engineer flushed the system with some special stuff and used a magnetic filter in addition to the magnetic filter he fitted. He showed me the huge amount of gunge his filter removed. However the flushing took only an hour two. Then refilled with Fermox or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 Thanks lads, managed to locate the plumber, and state my concerns. He agreed should be removed 3to4 months after installation. He will sort it next week. Needless to say I will be out in the garden lol You can never be too carefull. Cheers Edited By fly boy3 on 05/05/2020 14:18:09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Smith 14 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Posted by Wingman on 05/05/2020 10:35:15: As an aside, I've tried all those Fernox type cleaners and preservatives but the best by far is ethylene glycol car antifreeze (Bluecol etc.) dozed at 1 litre per radiator (regardless of radiator size). Car antifreeze is good for much higher temperatures than a central heating system can get to and is good for steel, iron, aluminium, copper, brass and magnesium so any metal in a central heating system won't react with it. I find that after 2 years the water is still clear and I now leave it for 5 years before draining and refilling. My system, including the boiler, is 25 years old, one of the radiators and the hot water tank are original and the system is still silent in operation (and it's an 'open system). Some of what you say is incorrect blue antifreeze losses its ability to prevent corrosion quickly this is why it's changed every 2 years it will quickly start to degrade aluminium, red antifreeze corrodes iron and steel, modern cast iron engine blocks are coated internally, but red won't attack aluminium, it also has a longer service life of 5 years. I'm not a plumber but do understand what automotive antifreeze does what and when it should be used 5 years seems a little risky to leave it in for and as central heating specific antifreeze is available I would always recommend using that instead of one not specific to requirements Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i12fly Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 The cleanser should have been removed after a few days running. After a few months the risk is that the debris can deposit out again, usually in the boiler heat exchanger due to decreasing solubility of the oxide with increased temperature. However if your boiler is quiet in operation then you have got away with it. If it sings/kettles when heating up it will need to be repeated properly. I was involved in an exercise with both Sentinel and Fernox Chief Chemists some years ago which demonstrated this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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