Heating system maintenance

[SteveWannadoGas]

Hi chaps, just thinking its the end of year now and I`ve been wondering if there`s any maintenance you`d recommend for heating systems? I have a combi, a worcester. I was thinking of draining the system down, flushing out the rads and refilling system with inhibitor. Would that be a good idea? I want the system to stay in good shape for as long as possible. Which inhibitor is best? Fernox? Is there a consensus on this?

One other thing, the installer who put my boiler in, has run the condense pipe into the gutter. Is this ok? I think this runs into a garden soakaway. I know its supposed to go into the soil pipe, but can anyone see an issue with that? I have had the boiler fail in recent cold weather, maybe because of moss in the gutter blocking up the end of the condense pipe?

Any advice is very welcome. Thankyou.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Don't think the inhibitors matter as which is best , more a case of it being certified for use.
Think it has a build cert or something on them .
Should be an air gap by the sounds of it .
Your installer is an idiot

 

[SteveWannadoGas]

So all inhibitors are equally good then?

You mean an air gap between the end of the condense pipe and the water/moss that collects in the gutter? Why do you think the installer is an idiot? Terminating into the gutter isn`t unusual.

My post was asking about system maintenance. Im no expert but isn`t it a good idea to take off the rads and flush them out, then replace them? Just to get out all the gunk and corrosion that collects in the bottom?

Thanks.

 

[Masood]

So all inhibitors are equally good then?

You mean an air gap between the end of the condense pipe and the water/moss that collects in the gutter?

There should be an air gap to prevent stuff like moss & leaves plugging the end of the pipe, Jase.

Condense doesn't HAVE to be run into soil. A soakaway is fine as long as there are lime chippings in it to neutralise the condensate.

As for maintenance, leave well alone. If it's working, don't meddle. If you want to check inhibitor concentrations, you can buy test kits. If low, top it up but I don't see any value in draining and refilling just for the sake of it...

 

[SteveWannadoGas]

i doubt there are any lime chippings in the soakaway. It just (as far as I know) soaks away somewhere under the grass a few yards from the house.

And who is Jase?

 

[Masood]

i doubt there are any lime chippings in the soakaway. It just (as far as I know) soaks away somewhere under the grass a few yards from the house.

And who is Jase?

I doubt it will do much damage - condensate is about as acidic as vinegar. It will kill some plants but others will like it. Not compliant with regs, though!

Everyone gets a forum nickname after a while. Yours is Jase...

 

[Last Plumber]

I wouldn't bother draining and refilling just for the sake of it. It can do more harm than good sometimes. If it's not broke, don't fix it.

Condensate drains are ok if in line with regs and as above filled with limestone. The condensate is like vinager /lemon juice and you don't want it near foundations of house, hence the 500mm distance from walls.

I have seen it eat through concrete but it is rare and in your case if it runs with in gutter/rainwater it will be greatly diluted so I wouldn't worry about it personally.

 

[SteveWannadoGas]

I had another installer run the condensate down the side of the house and leave it at that. Ok there was a couple of inches of shingle along the edge of the house but another GE told me that really wasn`t ideal and could eventually cause damage. His boss seemed to think that that was acceptable. I rang him to speak about it. I spoke to college tutor and he said no, it was a bad idea.

 

[Scott_D]

Fit a magnetic filter

 

[Scott_D]

I had another installer run the condensate down the side of the house and leave it at that. Ok there was a couple of inches of shingle along the edge of the house but another GE told me that really wasn`t ideal and could eventually cause damage. His boss seemed to that that was acceptable.. I spoke to college tutor and he said no, bad idea.

As above it can eat away at the foundations.
I bet it's overflow sized pipe outside as well

 

[SteveWannadoGas]

Got one. Also put a couple of magnets on the pipework by the drain-off.

 

[Masood]

Well I wouldn't leave a condensate drain too close to the walls / foundations. Although it's a very mild acid, it will eventually damage the brickwork. Probably not in the original installer's lifetime but not good practice at all...

 

[SimonG]

Condensate loves concrete. Went to an install less than 12 months old. They had reused the old steel terminal guard and left the flue with a fall. Nice round hole through the mesh and a big rusty hole in the concrete footpath below the flue. The builder that did the renovation still won't speak to me today. He wasn't happy I condemned the flue. I told him it was my registration and he could do one.

 

[Scott_D]

Got one. Also put a couple of magnets on the pipework by the drain-off.

Got a picture?

 

[SteveWannadoGas]

only if you are female and hot.

You must know what a magnet looks like? I`ve just put two magnets-the ones used to clean algae from the inside glass of a fish tank-so they are holding each other in place. Just sitting either side on the run of pipework. The thinking being, that they will trap any silt from bottom of the radiators that washes along the pipe. Then when/if I want to flush the system through, it will all wash out via the drain-off. It might not do much, but it cost me nothing.

 

[jonnyswamp]

only if you are female and hot.

You must know what a magnet looks like? I`ve just put two magnets-the ones used to clean algae from the inside glass of a fish tank-so they are holding each other in place. Just sitting either side on the run of pipework. The thinking being, that they will trap any silt from bottom of the radiators that washes along the pipe. Then when/if I want to flush the system through, it will all wash out via the drain-off. It might not do much, but it cost me nothing.

And eventually completely block up the pipe, take the magnets off

 

[Scott_D]

 

[hammers4spanner]

Sometimes just sometimes don't you think why bother .