What would your answer be?

[Leo21]

Power flushed a system, spent half a day on it. Used quality chemicals and a fernox power flusher.
The customer rings me a week later complaining that when she vents the rads she still gets discoloured water.
what would your reply?
I will listen to everyone's answers, apart from AP! ;-)

 

[SimonG]

Tell her to stop faffing with the system. Nowt wrong with a bit of discolouration as long as it's not brown. Also tell her she shouls have had a filter installed at the same time.

 

[Leo21]

Black she reckons, personally I don't think any amount if power flushing gets a system anywhere near 100% clean.

 

[AlexGas]

True.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

ask to go back and check it for yourself

 

[Masood]

ask to go back and check it for yourself

Agree. Go and see for yourself. You might have to give it another go (it happens), or she might be making it up. I'd also want to know why, a week later, she's still needing to vent the rads.

 

[SimonG]

Depends on the type of rads as well. If they have the bulbous connections at the top with the air vents in then these can hold some Shi'ite that a powerflush won't remove.

 

[TBServices]

The rad vents will always be a little bit black, no amount of flushing will solve that.

 

[Rickster123]

:iagree: You'll never get it all out there is a difference between discoloured water and sludge. Go back and see it for yourself.

 

[Kev the gas]

The slightest amount of sludge will soon discolour system water.

The reason for a Powerflush is not to get drinking water quality, but to achieve a system that circulates well and is not corrosive to the metals in the system.

If she is having to vent radiators a week after the powerflush maybe there is a fault in the system or she is looking for a reason to complain.

 

[jase158]

it will be a little bit left in the vents, go back and let water come out of the bleed valves until it runs clear. to avoid this in the future go round and bleed the rads before you leave and run the water clear, I always ask the customer if they have bled the rads recently and when they say they bleed them a lot, I always go round and make sure the water comes out clear. Also always tell the customer that the power flush will not remove 100 per cent of the rubbish as some gets stuck in the nooks and crannies

 

[Leo21]

:iagree: You'll never get it all out there is a difference between discoloured water and sludge. Go back and see it for yourself.

I do apologise AP, I didn't expect a coherent response. I'm in shock!

 

[Rickster123]

I do apologise AP, I didn't expect a coherent response. I'm in shock!

I've just crossed you off my Christmas card list!

 

[plumber0808]

Go back and drain some off in to a cup and show them, then explain to them why.

It will put their mind at ease

 

[Scott_D]

Say a powerflush removes Metallic and non metallic particles from the heating system.
Its not drinking water so will never be crystal clear
The chemicals you have added my discolour the water.

 

[Rickster123]

Why don't you do the Peckham Spring trick? Take a bottle of volvic and switch the sample bottles when she turns her back!

 

[R1CKY]

Water by the vents will always be dirtier as there is barely any circulation around that part of the rad so the water stays there and stagnates. Ever noticed when you remove the plug/vent from a drained rad you always get some water spill out? Thats because it is trapped there and not circulating.