Power Flushing Techniques

[jaydebruyne]

To date, I've only done a couple flushes on sealed systems on a single floor.

And to be honest, I was given a pump and told, go power flush this property and I had no idea what to do :/

So on the way to the job I googled it and did it as best I could. In a nutshell, drained a rad, connected the pump via the rad valves, flushed entire system for a while, then one rad at a time (dumping water a couple times throughout). Since then I don't think I did it quite right.

So, I'm asking the veterans to teach me the right way how to flush... I've read different articles but they give varying techniques.

How do you guys do it?

 

[jtsplumbing]

As your in London get up to St Albans (Kamco) do a day with them (Free) on power flushing. they will answer all your questions.

 

[thereisawizza]

Never go in via rad, doesn't flush the rad you're disconnecting, restricts the flow due to 15mm pipe etc....

As jtd says, def worth doing the Kamco course as you're nearby!! I bet the food's good too!

 

[jaydebruyne]

Course is £50+vat its only free if you buy a kamco pump :/ after shelling out £800 for my pump £50 ain't really doable at the mo

 

[Howsie]

As your in London get up to St Albans (Kamco) do a day with them (Free) on power flushing. they will answer all your questions.

If you buy a machine from them...

 

[jtsplumbing]

If you buy a machine from them...

Ok But its only £50, guy lives in London, cant tell me working London rates that he cant afford it, Thought he was given a pump, now saying he has paid £800, to be honest if I was doing PF in London I would have got that back in a couple of days, Pay the £50, its tax deductible and learn how to do the job correctly

 

[jaydebruyne]

Ok But its only £50, guy lives in London, cant tell me working London rates that he cant afford it, Thought he was given a pump, now saying he has paid £800, to be honest if I was doing PF in London I would have got that back in a couple of days, Pay the £50, its tax deductible and learn how to do the job correctly

I work for a firm so get the same day rate - I'm only just starting to build up some personal clients so jobs where I earn decent money is very thin, plus I have my family to feed. I know what you're saying, £50 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and I'll probably book on to the course but like I said, the pump and accessories have skinted me out a bit. I wish I was given a pump lol cheers for the info on the course

 

[jtsplumbing]

I work for a firm so get the same day rate - I'm only just starting to build up some personal clients so jobs where I earn decent money is very thin, plus I have my family to feed. I know what you're saying, £50 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and I'll probably book on to the course but like I said, the pump and accessories have skinted me out a bit. I wish I was given a pump lol cheers for the info on the course

Jay What you should have done was get some PF jobs booked in B4 you spent out on a machine, that's the route I went down paid over £1200 for mine, (Kamco) Got it on my account with Plumb Centre at start of month so had 8 weeks to pay for it. A
Little forward planning is all it takes.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Jay What you should have done was get some PF jobs booked in B4 you spent out on a machine, that's the route I went down paid over £1200 for mine, (Kamco) Got it on my account with Plumb Centre at start of month so had 8 weeks to pay for it. A
Little forward planning is all it takes.

I know .. I have issues! Lol if I get an idea in my head its like I'm obsessed and then just have to do it. Its being delivered today actually. Part of me thinks I should just return it and get the kamco in a month or two and get the course for free too

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I know .. I have issues! Lol if I get an idea in my head its like I'm obsessed and then just have to do it. Its being delivered today actually. Part of me thinks I should just return it and get the kamco in a month or two and get the course for free too

If you have doubt in your mind return it

 

[jtsplumbing]

And get some PF jobs on the books B4 you pay out only need 2 or 3 to cover cost of machine must be lots in your area , allow a day for each one, pre-treat system if you can, get on course now think they will refund cost when you buy unit,

 

[jaydebruyne]

So I took the unit out to have a look and found this lovely crack in the casing to the wiring!!

This order gas been a shamble from beginning to end. Def going back!!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

damaged in transit

 

[thereisawizza]

damaged in transit

Might not be, might be a Sprinter

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Might not be, might be a Sprinter

fell into that one

 

[hammers4spanner]

Jay What you should have done was get some PF jobs booked in B4 you spent out on a machine, that's the route I went down paid over £1200 for mine, (Kamco) Got it on my account with Plumb Centre at start of month so had 8 weeks to pay for it. A
Little forward planning is all it takes.

Do you ever get asked to do much power flush work down here?

 

[jtsplumbing]

Do you ever get asked to do much power flush work down here?

No done 2 in 10 years, when I lived near ascot could have done 2=3 a week but never had the time but on average 3 a month, But still got my Kemco unit.

 

[jtsplumbing]

So I took the unit out to have a look and found this lovely crack in the casing to the wiring!!

This order gas been a shamble from beginning to end. Def going back!!

Was this a new unit Looks used

 

[jaydebruyne]

Was this a new unit Looks used

Yeah, brand new.

 

[hammers4spanner]

No done 2 in 10 years, when I lived near ascot could have done 2=3 a week but never had the time but on average 3 a month, But still got my Kemco unit.

I got asked once last year and then they expected it for about 80 quid lol

 

[jtsplumbing]

Bet you snapped their hand off , People wont pay the cost down here + we don't seem to get the same level of contamination Proberly to do with the soft water.

 

[Stigster]

If you are doing oil fired boiler installs (not sure about gas as I only did oil work) then you will get plenty of use with the power flush machine as most/all boiler manufacturers require flushing at least prior to an install.

Do the plumbers on the forums flush as a matter of course on a boiler swap like we do here?

 

[SimonG]

No only a chemical clean. Flush out. Change. Flush out. Inhibitor.

 

[jtsplumbing]

PF is not a requirement , I mainly do a chemical clean, F5 in system about a week B4, Drain & Flush system, change boiler add F3 for another flush, Re fill add F1, will recommend a filter if customer wants to pay the cost, Will PF if asked for, but people always look at extra charge,

 

[SimonG]

Forgot the filter.

 

[finchy01]

Always offer the flush (and most take it) prior to install. Normally do it on day one and cracked on with remedial stuff at the same time. I'm 'down here' and often get 3 or 4 full magnets worth of sludge out of the system so definitely worth doing imo.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Always offer the flush (and most take it) prior to install. Normally do it on day one and cracked on with remedial stuff at the same time. I'm 'down here' and often get 3 or 4 full magnets worth of sludge out of the system so definitely worth doing imo.

Sorry your from Down Where ??

 

[Stigster]

Always offer the flush (and most take it) prior to install. Normally do it on day one and cracked on with remedial stuff at the same time. I'm 'down here' and often get 3 or 4 full magnets worth of sludge out of the system so definitely worth doing imo.

Same here. The last company I worked for had a lot of success selling a powerflush as part of a boiler swap. I'd say 9 out of 10 customers were happy to pay for it to be done at the same time so my employer's Kamco got plenty of use.

The boiler manuals (for Grant at least, we fitted almost exclusively Grant boilers) state that the system must be cleaned thoroughly before installation and again after for warranty purposes, whilst this can mean a chemical "gravity" clean, it was not difficult to sell the benefits of a power flush, especially on older systems.

 

[macackau]

I've done a power flush on every boiler I've installed, the amount of muck I've pulled out of systems is unreal. The Kamco magnet works a treat.

I do the following:

Open vent system
Isolate cold water supply to f and e
Drain out f and e tank and cap the feed pipe and open vent
Set up power flush and connect to pump
Open all rad valves and with the pump set to dump I switch it on and the initial muck gets removed from system.
Set pump to recirculate and let it heat up, add chemical, either FX2 for cast iron heat exchanger or Sentinel X800
Let everything circulate and then close off all rads/hot water coil apart from one.
Flush that one rad until evenly hot all over and use a rubber mallet for persuasion if need be
Move on to each rad like this and then open coil to flush again
Then, start dumping and rinsing with fresh water only on just the pipes
Then go to each rad one by one and flush with clean water until water runs clear
Open whole system for final rinse
Add neutraliser if required and flush accordingly
Add inhibitor
Job done
Depending on size of house can take between 3-6 hours

 

[jaydebruyne]

I've done a power flush on every boiler I've installed, the amount of muck I've pulled out of systems is unreal. The Kamco magnet works a treat.

I do the following:

Open vent system
Isolate cold water supply to f and e
Drain out f and e tank and cap the feed pipe and open vent
Set up power flush and connect to pump
Open all rad valves and with the pump set to dump I switch it on and the initial muck gets removed from system.
Set pump to recirculate and let it heat up, add chemical, either FX2 for cast iron heat exchanger or Sentinel X800
Let everything circulate and then close off all rads/hot water coil apart from one.
Flush that one rad until evenly hot all over and use a rubber mallet for persuasion if need be
Move on to each rad like this and then open coil to flush again
Then, start dumping and rinsing with fresh water only on just the pipes
Then go to each rad one by one and flush with clean water until water runs clear
Open whole system for final rinse
Add neutraliser if required and flush accordingly
Add inhibitor
Job done
Depending on size of house can take between 3-6 hours

So do you just bung the cold feed from inside the f&e or disconnect the pipe and cap it with a stop end?

 

[macackau]

The cold feed I cut just after the tank and cap both ends of it, then rejoin with a compression coupling after

 

[macackau]

Wouldn't risk bunging from inside as power of machine could force bung out

 

[jtsplumbing]

For open vent systems I made up a link between cold feed & expansion pipe with a valve in-between so that I could run PF through vent & feed that way I knew those pipes had been done, if you only cap them how do you know they are clear.

 

[macackau]

Hadn't thought of doing that but never had an issue with it either.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

I've done a power flush on every boiler I've installed, the amount of muck I've pulled out of systems is unreal. The Kamco magnet works a treat.

I do the following:

Open vent system
Isolate cold water supply to f and e
Drain out f and e tank and cap the feed pipe and open vent
Set up power flush and connect to pump
Open all rad valves and with the pump set to dump I switch it on and the initial muck gets removed from system.
Set pump to recirculate and let it heat up, add chemical, either FX2 for cast iron heat exchanger or Sentinel X800
Let everything circulate and then close off all rads/hot water coil apart from one.
Flush that one rad until evenly hot all over and use a rubber mallet for persuasion if need be
Move on to each rad like this and then open coil to flush again
Then, start dumping and rinsing with fresh water only on just the pipes
Then go to each rad one by one and flush with clean water until water runs clear
Open whole system for final rinse
Add neutraliser if required and flush accordingly
Add inhibitor
Job done
Depending on size of house can take between 3-6 hours

I offer power flushing and I use a very similar technique to yours but the Worcester oil boiler I'm installing tomorrow can't be flushed in the same manner as it had leaked from the heat X and was drained down, and pipes cut (By the builder, not me) before I got to it, to avoid flooding whilst the owner was away on holiday.

I've fitted a MagnaClean 2 (28mm) on the return, right next to the boiler and I'll have to use this after the boiler has been installed.
Where do you get a 'Neutraliser' from? I can't find any, I usually spend ages flushing out with clean water, and then I still feel that the job hasn't been done properly