Powerflush or replace rads?

lightspeed

Hi

I moved into a new house 3 weeks ago. I believe the house had been unoccupied for about a year but estate agent said the heating was on a timer to come on and off so pipes would not freeze.

Most of the rads were only heating in some parts so I bled them and most improved with exception of the kitchen radiator.

I tried a few days later again to vent kitchen rad by opening the nut at the top and let water drop into a bowl. I forgot about it so it dropped all day. I noticed it left and stain on rad where it dribbled down with dirty water. It's worse now and there is no heat at all coming from it or strangely 2 of the radiator is upstairs which were heating better before my second attempt to vent out any airlock.

A plumber that was due to arrive today failed to turn up. The question is should I get rads flushed or would it be cheaper and more effective to replace them?

I figure I could turn water off the water at front of the house and take off old rads, put on new rads and it would be cheaper than the power flushing.

I could alternatively rent a pump myself but I've no experience of doing the power flushing.

Should system be flushed before changing rads or is that a bit pointless if I was to replace with new rads so why flush the old rads at all?

K.Flyer

When you take all the rads off and clean or replace them as soon as you turn on the heating all the dirt and debris in the boiler and pipework will wash back into the radiators.
Get the system checked and surveyed and if the radiators are in good serviceable condition it would be cheaper to power flush than change all the radiators.

lightspeed

K.Flyer wrote: »

When you take all the rads off and clean or replace them as soon as you turn on the heating all the dirt and debris in the boiler and pipework will wash back into the radiators.
Get the system checked and surveyed and if the radiators are in good serviceable condition it would be cheaper to power flush than change all the radiators.

I'm willing to accept my own ignorance but what would a plumber likely do other than power flushing the rads?

I'm seeing prices of around €450 for 6 to 7 rads flushed. I also see prices of around €57 for double radiators with free TRV valve on screwfix. At such prices i could buy 7 new radiators even though I probably dont need that many replaced and it would be cheaper than power flushing.

My concern is I'll get radiator flushed and it still wont remove the sludge causing the issue so I'll have to buy a new radiator anyways.

So is powerflushing done as a supposedly cheaper solution to replacement of radiators or is it something that is necessary for some other reason?

Sleeper12

lightspeed wrote:

I'm seeing prices of around €450 for 6 to 7 rads flushed. I also see prices of around €57 for double radiators with free TRV valve on screwfix. At such prices i could buy 7 new radiators even though I probably dont need that many replaced and it would be cheaper than power flushing.

For that price you'd be getting rubbish quality rads & trv.

The gunk that is blocking the rads is also in the rest of the system. Replacing the rads is a short solution. The gunk left in the system will find its way back into the new rads

lightspeed

Sleeper12 wrote: »

For that price you'd be getting rubbish quality rads & trv.

The gunk that is blocking the rads is also in the rest of the system. Replacing the rads is a short solution. The gunk left in the system will find its way back into the new rads

Ok but can I be sure powerflushing will get rid of the gunk that's in the system and not just the rads? What's the solution if it doesn't?

When you say rest of the system, where do you mean? Are you talking about the pipes leading and coming from the rads?

Would the circulation of water not move this about already to the point that it wouldn't be able to form as sludge in the pipes? I figured sludge just built up in radiators but not the pipes

Sleeper12

lightspeed wrote:

Ok but can I be sure powerflushing will get rid of the gunk that's in the system and not just the rads? What's the solution if it doesn't?

If done properly it can leave inside the whole system like new. I haven't done heating in decades & when I did there wasn't power flushing.

K.Flyer can explain a lot better than I can.

jimf

sludge will form everywhere

i presume we are talking oil boiler if so this is most likely the lowest point in the system sludge building up here will hinder its capacity to heat your rads and water to its max ability

powerflush then see how your system is

lightspeed

jimf wrote: »

sludge will form everywhere

i presume we are talking oil boiler if so this is most likely the lowest point in the system sludge building up here will hinder its capacity to heat your rads and water to its max ability

powerflush then see how your system is

No its gas central heating with boiler ik the kitchen.