My radiators

[suityou01]

Since we moved into Benger towers in 09, we've always had problems with our heating. Elderly Gloworm boiler, and intermittent faults with the radiators. Several plumbers have mentioned the system is on it's last legs, and is heavily sludged. One plumber said that my radiators were only working at 25% efficiency. How do they measure this?

So I got a quote for power flushing. £450. So I looked into hiring a power flushing unit for the weekend. £160 + VAT + chemicals.

So I shopped around on ebay and got a second hand one for £141 (winning bid) which came with 2 bottles of Fernox, a bottle of Powerflush cleaner, a bottle of leak fixing stuff (around £80 worth).

And I've been at it for 3 solid days now. I'm on the penultimate rad.

I'm going to fit one of these



So there you have it, sometimes bleeding the radiators isn't enough. Once this is done I expect the contract market to pick up.

[northernladuk]

They probably test by feeling the radiator at the top and bottom and at the incoming and outgoing valves. Any difference in temperature and the fact the radiator isn't as hot as the settings the boiler will tell you it's not operating properly. The actual number he quoted is probably made up.

I've used the radiator flushes and the are ok to a point. They can help but if the system is that bad you are better off taking them off and emptying/cleaning them out properly, running it and doing it again.

Pointless doing it by halves with a crappy boiler as you are just throwing good money after bad.

Get a new boiler, get the radiators off and do it properly IMO. If it's as bad as you say it will pay for itself in the short to medium term.

[NotAllThere]

...Once this is done I expect the contract market to pick up.

Yep. Once all the Poles are deported, you'll be able to fill the gap.

[OwlHoot]

Anyone tried fitting thermostatic on-off valves to individual radiators? Are they any good?

I gather some (the cheaper ones, or maybe the opposite, the fancy electronic ones?) can hum constantly, which is not what one needs when trying to sleep.

They are fitted in place of the radiator tap, and I think most work by a thermally expanding ring of rubber or something similar that effectively turns off tha radiator, or slows the water flow, when the room temperature goes above a certain value.

[suityou01]

They probably test by feeling the radiator at the top and bottom and at the incoming and outgoing valves. Any difference in temperature and the fact the radiator isn't as hot as the settings the boiler will tell you it's not operating properly. The actual number he quoted is probably made up.

I've used the radiator flushes and the are ok to a point. They can help but if the system is that bad you are better off taking them off and emptying/cleaning them out properly, running it and doing it again.

Pointless doing it by halves with a crappy boiler as you are just throwing good money after bad.

Get a new boiler, get the radiators off and do it properly IMO. If it's as bad as you say it will pay for itself in the short to medium term.

What does this entail?

[northernladuk]

What does this entail?

Calling someone that knows what they are doing

[suityou01]

Calling someone that knows what they are doing

Wash your mouth out sir. It's not the suity way

There was a small explosion in the loft this afternoon and a shedload of water came out the overflow and soaked me in the garden sitting on my patio chair. Naturally I commented on this on Facebook and one of my FB buddies compared me to Frank Spencer

[SueEllen]

Anyone tried fitting thermostatic on-off valves to individual radiators? Are they any good?

I gather some (the cheaper ones, or maybe the opposite, the fancy electronic ones?) can hum constantly, which is not what one needs when trying to sleep.

They are fitted in place of the radiator tap, and I think most work by a thermally expanding ring of rubber or something similar that effectively turns off tha radiator, or slows the water flow, when the room temperature goes above a certain value.

My plumber(s) fitted them.

They don't hum and some of my radiators and their valves are 30 years old.

[FatLazyContractor]

My plumber(s) fitted them.

They don't hum and some of my radiators and their valves are 30 years old.

On reading twice ..

[FatLazyContractor]

Wash your mouth out sir. It's not the suity way

Are Benger towers insured?