power flushing machine

paddy_joe · 29-09-2010 08:23PM #1

Hi

Could anyone recommond a power flushing machine for domestic houses?

thanks
paddy_joe

Sparkpea · 29-09-2010 08:59PM

I've owned both fernox and kamco machines. I now only use Kamco and I'm very happy with their results.

I use a CF90 and use the magnet with it also www.kamco.co.uk. I prefer to use their chemicals for cleaning also but still use fernox inhibitor.

paddy_joe · 29-09-2010 09:17PM

hi sparkpea,

thanks for the reply,
what kind of money did you pay for that machine? who supplied it?Is there much call for power flushing?

paddy_joe

Sparkpea · 29-09-2010 09:35PM

possibly about £1,200-£1,500, can't remember exactly - I've had it over 2 years. I bought it direct off them through a telephone order.

Yes there is a good demand for it especially in the winter time. If you follow the regulations of new boilers and radiators systems must be flushed when installing these, 8 times out of 10 people will pay the extra to have it done properly.

JohnnieK · 29-09-2010 09:39PM

I have one from pulsar.ie. I have it about a year now and it always dose the job. I think it was about €800.

paddy_joe · 29-09-2010 09:44PM

i sent an email to kamco,hopefully hear back tomorrow.I was talking to pulsar today,think they said theres was 550 plus vat.How long does it take to powerflush a system properly?

Sparkpea · 29-09-2010 09:52PM

depends on the size of system

amount of rads
link up
how dirty the system is
mains water pressure
any nrv's installed
whether its being done through 22/28mm pump or through 15mm rad
if the system is microbore then its even slower

6-8rads on a standard system 5-6hrs maybe

average for me would be 7-8hrs but ive also done systems with 18 rads or so and took me from 8am-11pm.. did a church with 42 rads that took 3 days

how longs a piece of string? :P

JohnnieK · 29-09-2010 09:56PM

Holy S**t 3 days!!!

paddy_joe · 29-09-2010 10:03PM

thanks sparkpea,

the kamco looks like a nice machine alright. how do you price the jobs then? As you can tell im new to power flushing,hopin to get a bit more work with it. Hopefully purchase one of the machines at start of next week.

Pat

Sparkpea · 29-09-2010 10:14PM

the price I charge varies, if its straight forward with nothing to prepare as such then about £250 for about 8 rads, remember to count the hot tank as a rad.

u need to have a balancing valve on the hot tank if your going to do it properly because u need to turn of each rad and do one at a time.. this goes for the hot tank too, it means the full flow is going through the rad and not the coil as well as the rad because the coil will always take most of the flow as its 22mm..

I try to prepare things a few days before hand, if its a link up then remove the nrv, make sure theres balancing valve on cylinder, valve on cold feed, check the pump if its old then its gonna be harder to get out etc. if the system is bad then i'll drain down the expansion tank a bit and put some cleaner in to help break it up before hand.

I'd be looking about £350 for doing a system with a link up as its harder, more to prepare, 2 pumps etc.

at the end of the day u need a days wage, cost of chemicals and some return back for the cost of the machine that you've forked out so it really comes down to how much ur time is worth

paddy_joe · 29-09-2010 10:25PM

Thanks for all your help sparkpea,think thats all the questions i have for now!:rolleyes:, might have more next week if i get the machine.:D

Pat

danjo · 29-09-2010 10:45PM

Is the flushing done at high pressure? I fso would it cause problems in an old installation.

Sparkpea · 30-09-2010 07:52AM

danjo wrote: »

Is the flushing done at high pressure? I fso would it cause problems in an old installation.

Flushing is not done under pressure it's simply flowrate. Basically it's like ur standard water circulating pump only with a faster motor. Yes there is a small chance it could spring a leak in the system but the reality is the flushing machine won't cause the leak it will only bring it forward. Ive never had one blow a joint or anything but a radiator or boiler has pinholed while doing it. U cannot tell how corroded a system is on the inside so if a radiator is leaking in the inside and a piece of magnetite is pressed against the rust spot and u remove the magnetite then that's when the rad will leak but sooner or later that rad was going to leak anyway because it's already rusted.

You know straight away if there's a problem because the water in the flushing tank will drop rapidly and u need to be watching the tank all the time. I normally have 2 men on the job but others often do it on their own.

Sparkpea · 30-09-2010 07:54AM

Also just to ad old installations often have better quality stronger metals.

paddy_joe · 30-09-2010 06:50PM

Sparkpea

Why dont you use the fernox one anymore? How much was that one? Interested in selling it?Where you based?

Pat

Sparkpea · 30-09-2010 09:36PM

paddy_joe wrote: »

Sparkpea

Why dont you use the fernox one anymore? How much was that one? Interested in selling it?Where you based?

Pat

I no longer have it, seen another plumber with a kamco cf30 and I liked it so went one better and got the cf90 and not looked back since..

based in lisburn, co. antrim just for reference.

paddy_joe · 30-09-2010 09:49PM

kamco got back to me today,sending out some info on the cf 30 and 90.like the look of the cf 90 alright. would you recommend gettin the magnet too? anything else you think ill need.

Pat

Sparkpea · 30-09-2010 09:55PM

yeah the magnet makes all the difference to the results

no u dont need anything else because they send a load of stuff in the kit, hoses, chemicals etc. they also send 2 hoses that connect onto pump valves so basically u take the pump out and pipe straight onto the valve.. its by far the quickest and best method.. no messing about taking the pump head off or a rad

mchammer · 09-02-2011 10:06AM

Just wondering if you can hire out these machines or do you need to purchase the whole kit?

Sparkpea · 09-02-2011 11:35AM

yeah some hire shops do them

yoshytoshy · 09-02-2011 07:47PM

Sparkpea ,just wondering which fernox machine you were using ?

Sparkpea · 09-02-2011 10:08PM

yoshytoshy wrote: »

Sparkpea ,just wondering which fernox machine you were using ?

mk2

yoshytoshy · 09-02-2011 10:12PM

Sparkpea wrote: »

mk2

Thanks ,it's the mk2 I've got myself. I got a pump connection with it ,take off the head etc.

I find the fernox is grand ,a bit akward to carry around and the hoses are very big but it cleans anything.

Maybe the kamco is easier to setup ?

Sparkpea · 09-02-2011 10:22PM

yeah the cf90 is, pull it behind you like a trolley/truck, big wheels for going up/down steps etc, its handier for me alright - driving a kangoo van which is packed out in the back means I can buckle it up in the passenger seat :-) think it could poss do with a service. mine is similar to this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/power-flush-your-heating-system-and-remove-sludge-/180622250711?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item2a0decd2d7#ht_1500wt_757

yoshytoshy · 09-02-2011 10:36PM

Thanks sparkpea ,I sent off kamco an email earlier. See what they are looking for a new kit at the moment.

Got an email off Fernox earlier this evening about a new product ,looks handy to use. TF1
It comes in an installer pack ,I already use this stuff(chemicals) seperately and it's great stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCrDc80MeiE

Sparkpea · 09-02-2011 10:44PM

TF1 seems like a good product, my wholesalers keep it, bit pricey though but worth it for new systems. I know alot of gas boys will use them on new systems. A bit hard to justify adding it to an existing system when doing a boiler changeover though - unless theirs constant pitching problems - even then though I'd try to talk them into a powerflush & pressurise.

Same sort of thing as a magnaclean - never used either though but I think it should be compulsory for new sites.

Be interested to see what Kamco's pricing is like in current market conditions, they offer free courses for engineers albeit in Heathrow.

yoshytoshy · 09-02-2011 10:48PM

I know what your saying ,I think the same way myself.

The magnaclean has gotten very popular down here though and board gais are pushing their installations as far as I know. People(customers) seem to like the idea of it.

Hopefully Kamco can do me a deal ,I'll have less spending money for alicante this year though

Sparkpea · 09-02-2011 10:57PM

Getting things tight as anything up here at the moment - won't have a holiday this year

Though getting married in May, not even a honeymoon. Think I only managed to do 5 chargeable hours last week, phones stopped ringing since the cold snap died out, had a few calls about new boilers today though so fingers crossed. *plays violin*

yoshytoshy · 09-02-2011 11:02PM

Sparkpea wrote: »

Think I only managed to do 5 chargeable hours last week, phones stopped ringing since the cold snap died out, had a few calls about new boilers today though so fingers crossed. *plays violin*

You'll be grand ,I'm working for a company thats been around for 30 years. So a lot of the work I do is customers that I know already.

I need to start buying my own power tools and equipment ,it's hard to do when you already have everything you need.:(

Buford T Justice · 10-02-2011 12:18AM

Sparkpea wrote: »

Getting things tight as anything up here at the moment - won't have a holiday this year Though getting married in May, not even a honeymoon. Think I only managed to do 5 chargeable hours last week, phones stopped ringing since the cold snap died out, had a few calls about new boilers today though so fingers crossed. *plays violin*

Fingers Crossed.

yoshytoshy · 10-02-2011 12:25AM

Congratulations on the wedding coming up!

I hope all us boardsies are invited

power flushing machine

Comments