Inhibitor

johnnyb6

Hi I want to put inhibitor into my pressurised heating system and wondering has anyone any advice. I was told the inhibitor is cheap but the gun for putting it in is about 60 euro. Is there any cheaper way to do it.


Thanking You

scudo2

johnnyb6 wrote: »

Hi I want to put inhibitor into my pressurised heating system and wondering has anyone any advice. I was told the inhibitor is cheap but the gun for putting it in is about 60 euro. Is there any cheaper way to do it.


Thanking You

What type of radiator do you have?
If they have plugs on the top, drain rad and fill via plug hole. Useing a 1/2 elbow.

Dtp1979

johnnyb6 wrote: »

Hi I want to put inhibitor into my pressurised heating system and wondering has anyone any advice. I was told the inhibitor is cheap but the gun for putting it in is about 60 euro. Is there any cheaper way to do it.


Thanking You

Putting in inhibitor is cheap and easy but it's a waste of time putting it in if your system isn't clean to start with. Donor out it into a dirty system, ie if the rads aren't heating or the radiator water is black

johnnyb6

My rads have bleed valve on top at one end and plug at other end. I was told by plumbing shop that the liquid is thick and needs to be pumped in. Is this true. Also I was going to ask should I drain all the rads or just enough to put stuff in. My rads are heating very well but I replaced one last week with heated towel rail and water in this rad was black

K.Flyer

johnnyb6 wrote: »

...
water in this rad was black

Indicating that your system is not clean and sludge is building up.
Better to save your money and pay for a power flush, far more beneficial to your pocket and your heating system than your original plan.

johnnyb6

K.Flyer wrote: »

Indicating that your system is not clean and sludge is building up.
Better to save your money and pay for a power flush, far more beneficial to your pocket and your heating system than your original plan.

thanks for the help but how does power flush work.

K.Flyer

It descales, cleans and removes the build up of sludge from your heating system.
A special machine is used for the process in conjunction with cleansing agents. After the treatment, the system is refilled with fresh water and corrosion inhibitors and it is recommended that a magentic filter is installed at the same time to keep things right.

Dtp1979

K.Flyer wrote: »

It descales, cleans and removes the build up of sludge from your heating system.
A special machine is used for the process in conjunction with cleansing agents. After the treatment, the system is refilled with fresh water and corrosion inhibitors and it is recommended that a magentic filter is installed at the same time to keep things right.

+1

johnnyb6

How much would this power flush cost. My house is only built 12 years so will this be necessary

K.Flyer

I have seen heating systems that were only a few years old requiring power flushing.
If a system has not had inhibitor from the very first day they can get into trouble fairly quickly.
A power flush for an average house would cost aporox 450.00 euro.

whizbang

Put the inhibitor anyway, in regardless of any other issues. Just drain off a little more than whats in the container out of one radiator.

Re powerflushing, - If you replaced one rad yourself, then you can do your own version of a powerflush. Remove all rads, one by one, and hose them out in the garden. The majority of the system is the rads, the pipework wont need work. Dont bother with anything else.

do it before the water meter gets you...

Dtp1979

whizbang wrote: »

Put the inhibitor anyway, in regardless of any other issues. Just drain off a little more than whats in the container out of one radiator.

Re powerflushing, - If you replaced one rad yourself, then you can do your own version of a powerflush. Remove all rads, one by one, and hose them out in the garden. The majority of the system is the rads, the pipework wont need work. Dont bother with anything else.

do it before the water meter gets you...

Well op, there's a load of nonsense I'd strongly advise you to ignore.
Do not put inhibitor into a dirty system. It's a waste of money and I have it on good advise that inhibitor and dirty rad water create a bad mixture which is very harmful to your heating system.
Sticking a garden hose on to the pipework is as useless as an astray on a motorbike. Powerflushing works on the water being pumped at high velocity and low pressure through the system in conjunction with heat and chemicals. running the mains through is pointless.

The lips

Take off the end piece on the radiator and use a syringe to get the inhibitor in.

You could also do the same for a cleaner, run it through for a couple of weeks, drain, rinse, inhibit.

50ml syringe can be got in an agricultural shop, glanbia etc for a couple of pence.

I did not have the end valve so I used a catheter with a flexible line to get it in through the bleed valve hole.

Egass13

whizbang wrote: »

Put the inhibitor anyway, in regardless of any other issues. Just drain off a little more than whats in the container out of one radiator.

Re powerflushing, - If you replaced one rad yourself, then you can do your own version of a powerflush. Remove all rads, one by one, and hose them out in the garden. The majority of the system is the rads, the pipework wont need work. Dont bother with anything else.

do it before the water meter gets you...

Is it possible to ban somebody for posting such terrible , useless advice ?
Op , stick to advise from the posters here who actually do this everyday for a living , and ignore the have a go heros, for your own sake.

whizbang

Well, Here's a load of nonsense I'd strongly advise you to ignore:

Do not put inhibitor into a dirty system. It's a waste of money and I have it on good advise that inhibitor and dirty rad water create a bad mixture which is very harmful to your heating system.

I will allow that its faintly possible, Which inhibitor supplier says this on its packaging??

Sticking a garden hose on to the pipework

Please read again.

whizbang

whizbang wrote: »

Well, Here's a load of nonsense I'd strongly advise you to ignore:
.

Adding inhibitor to dirty system water can have a negative effect more often than not on O-rings, seals, pumps, auto air releases etc...

Your advice whizbang is wrong and anyone following it can damage their heating system.

Inhibitor is only to be added to a clean heating systems or not at all.


The issue of dirty heating systems is not a new one nor is it rocket science, I can only thank those who still don't understand the importance of cleaning a heating system correctly, without ye the bulk of the 26,000 boilers wouldn't of been fitted last year in Ireland, so well done.

Wearb

gary71 wrote: »

Adding inhibitor to dirty system water can have a negative effect more often than not on O-rings, seals, pumps, auto air releases etc...

Your advice whizbang is wrong and anyone following it can damage their heating system.

Inhibitor is only to be added to a clean heating systems or not at all.


The issue of dirty heating systems is not a new one nor is it rocket science, I can only thank those who still don't understand the importance of cleaning a heating system correctly, without ye the bulk of the 26,000 boilers wouldn't of been fitted last year in Ireland, so well done.

:-)

DGOBS

DPT1979:

Do not put inhibitor into a dirty system. It's a waste of money and I have it on good advise that inhibitor and dirty rad water create a bad mixture which is very harmful to your heating system.

Whizbang:

I will allow that its faintly possible, Which inhibitor supplier says this on its packaging??

err...ever read an inhibitor product sheet......??

whizbang

OK ! I admit. Hands up..

I was always told it will do more good than harm. Funny I have an old 1 Litre container of Fernox in the shed, nothing useful written on it.

Did they do a product for older systems?

Dtp1979

whizbang wrote: »

OK ! I admit. Hands up..

I was always told it will do more good than harm. Funny I have an old 1 Litre container of Fernox in the shed, nothing useful written on it.

Did they do a product for older systems?

Not sure. I think it has a 5 year expiry date

Cerco

What causes sludge to build up in a heating system?
Thanks.

jca

gary71 wrote: »

Adding inhibitor to dirty system water can have a negative effect more often than not on O-rings, seals, pumps, auto air releases etc...

Your advice whizbang is wrong and anyone following it can damage their heating system.

Inhibitor is only to be added to a clean heating systems or not at all.


The issue of dirty heating systems is not a new one nor is it rocket science, I can only thank those who still don't understand the importance of cleaning a heating system correctly, without ye the bulk of the 26,000 boilers wouldn't of been fitted last year in Ireland, so well done.

Isn't it a lovely little club here. I really can't understand why there's a heating and plumbing thread at all. Every thread started by an unsuspecting fool goes the same way every time, you must get the job done by us or your local plumber (but he's a fool too) so pm Mr hotshot on boards for a quote.....

Wearb

Cerco wrote: »

What causes sludge to build up in a heating system?
Thanks.

Oxygen reacting with the metal components of the heating system.
This usually happens because of leaks or needing to regularly bleed rads. This neccessattes the introduction of fresh oxygenated water to the system. Can also be caused by pitching on an open system. This introduces oxygen in a similar manner that a fountain does with a pond

Wearb

jca wrote: »

Isn't it a lovely little club here. I really can't understand why there's a heating and plumbing thread at all. Every thread started by an unsuspecting fool goes the same way every time, you must get the job done by us or your local plumber (but he's a fool too) so pm Mr hotshot on boards for a quote.....

That is really unfair and inaccurate JCA. Just read through a variety of threads and you will see that lots of people have been facilitated to help themselves... and for free. You will also see caution with advice when to go further might put person or property in danger.

jca

jca wrote: »

Isn't it a lovely little club here. I really can't understand why there's a heating and plumbing thread at all. Every thread started by an unsuspecting fool goes the same way every time, you must get the job done by us or your local plumber (but he's a fool too) so pm Mr hotshot on boards for a quote.....

I find it interesting you wish to complain on a thread where the advice given to add inhibitor to a dirty system can and does have a major impact on the longevity of a appliance and it's components which is something I don't like as I'm usually the Mr hotshot who identifys this to the homeowner a couple of years after they spent a fortune on a new install(never a nice conversation to have).

This is not a DIY forum;).

You may ask any question you like but expect a professional(sometimes grumpy) answer which can be hindered by the fact it is a open forum using the medium of text and not a face to face conversation.

You describing fellow posters as "fools" is you're words not mine as I don't expect anybody who isn't qualified to have the same understanding as a professional, to think otherwise is just silly.

Another thing you may fail to understand is I have a duty of care as a qualified gas engineer, I have to be very careful what I post as the level of information can lead to a home owner causing damage to their property or themselves, deciding on the level of information to give at times can be difficult and in the past i'v given to much information which ended in tears.

Over the years i have known home owners to flood their homes because of the advice i'v given them on how to refill their central heating system, but you would get cross:mad: if I now advised any home owner to get a plumber in to refill the heating system to prevent any risk of flooding

As I said this is not a DIY forum:eek: and I like other professionals who give their time and advice freely and willingly will not give advice which we feel could cause further problems and sadly for you we get to decide how much we will help(usually based on experience of things going wrong).

jca

gary71 wrote: »

I find it interesting you wish to complain on a thread where the advice given to add inhibitor to a dirty system can and does have a major impact on the longevity of a appliance and it's components which is something I don't like as I'm usually the Mr hotshot who identifys this to the homeowner a couple of years after they spent a fortune on a new install(never a nice conversation to have).

This is not a DIY forum;).

You may ask any question you like but expect a professional(sometimes grumpy) answer which can be hindered by the fact it is a open forum using the medium of text and not a face to face conversation.

You describing fellow posters as "fools" is you're words not mine as I don't expect anybody who isn't qualified to have the same understanding as a professional, to think otherwise is just silly.

Another thing you may fail to understand is I have a duty of care as a qualified gas engineer, I have to be very careful what I post as the level of information can lead to a home owner causing damage to their property or themselves, deciding on the level of information to give at times can be difficult and in the past i'v given to much information which ended in tears.

Over the years i have known home owners to flood their homes because of the advice i'v given them on how to refill their central heating system, but you would get cross:mad: if I now advised any home owner to get a plumber in to refill the heating system to prevent any risk of flooding

As I said this is not a DIY forum:eek: and I like other professionals who give their time and advice freely and willingly will not give advice which we feel could cause further problems and sadly for you we get to decide how much we will help(usually based on experience of things going wrong).

I didn't call the poster a fool. I used the phrase unsuspecting fool so please don't use words out of context. You say it isn't a diy forum, it shouldn't be a scare the bejaysus out of every poster, touting for business forum either.

Hitchens

System up and running 30 years, no inhibitor and no problems of a major sort whatsoever.............genuinely.

Wearb

Hitchens wrote: »

System up and running 30 years, no inhibitor and no problems of a major sort whatsoever.............genuinely.

I know someone that lived to be over one hundred and smoked all her life. Doesn't mean I would advise it.

Your system probably never or very rarely had fresh water introduced. You just might get away without it in a well plumbed system, but why risk it. Your system will have had a little contamination (probably not noticeable) until all the oxygen was used up in its initial reaction with heating system.

Egass13

Hitchens wrote: »

System up and running 30 years, no inhibitor and no problems of a major sort whatsoever.............genuinely.

.

jca

jca wrote: »

I didn't call the poster a fool. I used the phrase unsuspecting fool so please don't use words out of context

Forgive me, perfect example of how text can cause problems when communicating a point.

.

jca wrote: »

You say it isn't a diy forum, it shouldn't be a scare the bejaysus out of every poster,

Your right the facts should speak for themselves but that's not what happens, people tend not to want to listen:eek:,

There was one old lady who died from carbon monoxide poisoning who most likely would have survived if she hadn't covered her vent with cling film on the inside(to fool anybody looking at the vent) this also happened to a family of four and their dog who died on Christmas day, we got called in on the Boxing Day to find them all in the living room still sitting in front of the telly.

Now taking in to account the above I have a very very hard time just convincing customers to leave their vents open to prevent a similar incident so I have very little faith when it comes to homeowners doing the right thing so I don't promote DIY when there are inherent risks.


Going back to my original point that you reposted, I can tell you that adding inhibitor to a dirty heating system causes problems that at times will require thousands to put right, I see this often and it shouldn't be happening at all, if the correct process is followed it can't happen.

So telling the OP to not do it himself and get the his system flushed by a professional is the correct advice.

jca wrote: »

touting for business forum either.

Your right, feel free to report any touting when you see it.

B and Q used to have a handout for bleeding heating systems which included lighting the hydrogen at the bleed point, they stopped handing it out when a home owner burnt their house down after the flame that came out set the curtains on fire.

Hitchens

Egass13 wrote: »

.

You seem disappointed

DGOBS

Isn't it a lovely little club here. I really can't understand why there's a heating and plumbing thread at all. Every thread started by an unsuspecting fool goes the same way every time, you must get the job done by us or your local plumber (but he's a fool too) so pm Mr hotshot on boards for a quote.....

Who asked/offered/told the OP not to inhibit the system him/herself?
Who asked for PMs or recommended someone to do this job?

Are you also missing the point that professionals come here and offer free advise, to anyone who asks.

I think you are confusing the fact that many OPs questions open a debate about particular subject, and what we get are peoples opinions etc. on certain subjects (some right, some wrong) and that is what has happened here. Everyone learns and benefits.

Or would you rather, inhibitor, yeah just bung it in through the rad bleed valve mate!