Flushing radiators quote

imokyrok

A plumber has quoted me me €100 per radiator to flush the sludge out of my 11 rads. Says he brings a specialist down to Dublin from Belfast to do the job. When I blanched he said he might be able to get it down to €80 per rad if he combined it with a few other people. I have zero clue if this is reasonable or not but with my last gas bill costing €620 I'm desperate to get the system working more more efficiently. Is it a reasonable price?

Dtp1979

God no that’s extortion. 11 rad system power flushed should cost no more than 600

shane b

Not every plumber has their own power flusher so if he has to hire one or get someone else its going to cost more. Try the company below and see if the costs on the website are current. I just found their details from a google search.

MOD SNIP PM this poster or the poster just above (Dtp1979) if you want more info.

Tom44

There's probably a lot of other factors involved with high running costs.

Type and size of boiler.

Amount of hours a day boiler runs for X 60 days

Heating controls as in clock and thermostats

Size and type of radiators, are they big enough and convectors ( not blocked with cobwebs)

10-10-20

...I'm still waiting for the punch-line to justify 100 EUR per rad and a 'specialist' from Belfast, Tom44?

Will he be riding the Enterprise gravy train with his specialist compressor all the way down?? Cant wait.

Dtp1979

I charged 1100 for a powerflush once. The system had 40 radiators.

maestroamado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241435/flushing-radiators-quote

is the system giving trouble if not i would leave it...

imokyrok

Yes. Some rads aren't heating and I've already had someone in to balance them. The house was built in 1996 so though the boiler is only 4 or 5 years old the rads haven't had any real work done on them since they went in.

I also need to think about installing thermostatic valves on the rads before next winter because they only have lock shield valves on them.

imokyrok

Actually if anyone can recommend valves that are dependable without requiring emptying the piggyback I'd appreciate it. Also is it true that it's best not to have a thermostatic rad valve in the room where your room thermostat is situated? I have a Netatmo WiFi room thermostat I keep in the room I spend most time in.

Dtp1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925392#Comment_118925392

Correct

theteal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925333#Comment_118925333

Maybe I'm a bit too DIY for my own good but in that case, I would take the non-working rads off the wall, out the back and flush them through with a standard auld hose. If still crap when put back on, away out to buy a few new ones. That would still be a fraction of your quoted price - assuming they're not overly fancy/expensive yokes.

Wearb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925333#Comment_118925333

5 year old boiler. If the system was flushed at installation and now needs flushing again, then you have other problems such as a leak or pitching. Something is most likely causing fresh water to enter the system.

If it was a plumber in balancing them he would have spotted that they were sludged up and let you know that balancing wasn't going to offer any sort of long term solution.

Overall what I'm saying is that you need to know (and fix) the cause of your problem and not have to keep chasing symptoms.

Dtp1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925848#Comment_118925848

And what’s gonna clean out the pipework and boiler?

what you’re suggestion is similar to fitting a new engine in your car and fillIng it with dirty oil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925848#Comment_118925848

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925848#Comment_118925848

imokyrok

The system wasn't flushed through when the boiler was installed. The previously boiler blew up and the new one was put in. No work on the rads other than ensuring they were all working. That plumber, who had worked for me when I lived in a previous house in Artane, retired not long after and since then, other than having the boiler maintained, I haven't found a plumber out in North County Dublin that has been able to replace him.

imokyrok

When I try to do jobs like that I have a tendency to make things worse.

imokyrok

Thanks folk. I saved €300 on the job. 🤑

Dtp1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119000572#Comment_119000572

800 euro for a flush??