Central heating cleaner

[Matt0029]

Can leaving cleaner in for too long before a boiler swap cause issues? The ideal boilers cleanser says leave in for between 1 hour and a week. Would leaving in for a couple of weeks really cause issues?

 

[Deleted member 120897]

I believe Sentinel X800 is aggressive? Supposedly causes issues.

 

[Matt0029]

Issues to the system radiator valve seals etc?

 

[Deleted member 120897]

I don’t actually know, it’s what I’ve been told on another forum.

 

[king of pipes]

Personally I wouldn't leave in for more than two weeks I don't like the really aggressive cleaners and stick with Adey, Sentinel,or Fernox products. Kop

 

[Ric2013]

Whatever it was designed to do would have been done in the first week, so I suppose the effect of the extra week might depend on whether the cleaner was overwhelmed by the quantity of debris (in which case you're just running a very dirty system with free gunk circulating) or whether it had oomph left in which case then it might start attacking system components.

Sentinel advises X400 is a marathon runner whereas the X800 is a 100m sprinter. They do the same thing but take different amounts of time to do it (but the slow approach is supposedly better, if you have the time).

Interestingly, I once went the whole hog with a relatively small system and (following Sentinel's best practice advice) circulated X400 for a month before the flush itself. In theory the X400 should have already shifted quite a lot of debris. In practice, the X400 (which I drained out) did not actually appear to have removed an awful lot, and when I powerflushed with Fernox DS40, there was still an awful lot of magnetite and scale in the system. Perhaps the X400 had helped soften it all up with the consequence that the flush itself was more successful, or perhaps it was a total waste of time; without comparing with an identical un-pre-treated system, it's hard to know.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

X800 is fine upto two weeks I think I remember it’s either one or two

 

[Chester]

2 weeks for x800 I think, honestly not that convinced on those cleaners, the info says its like 6.8ph iirc and that's not exactly strong. Maybe there's something else in it but I don't know. if you can leave it in for 2 weeks then I'm gonna assume whatever would start happening that's bad would probably have started happening by that point.

 

[Ric2013]

2 weeks for x800 I think, honestly not that convinced on those cleaners, the info says its like 6.8ph iirc and that's not exactly strong.

Well, it's interesting what Fernox told me. They were advertising F8 and I questioned how a PH neutral formula could work as a descaler. I received a detailed reply which included the following information:

[...] the neutral pH cleaner will not react directly with hardened limescale deposits. Loose non-adherent limescale deposits/particulates would be assisted in removal during the flushing process. If limescale dissolution is the primary purpose of a clean then an acidic cleaner such as Fernox DS40 should be used.

 

[Matt0029]

Thanks when draining after having the cleaner in do you need to fill and flush again after the initial drain down to get rid of the cleaner fully?

 

[Scott_D]

Thanks when draining after having the cleaner in do you need to fill and flush again after the initial drain down to get rid of the cleaner fully?

Yes
Hot flush and cold flush is advised I believe.
I like a good mains flush, filling loop onto the flow and drain point or filter drain on the return and blast some cold water around the system

 

[Matt0029]

Thanks it's a rapid dose cleaner. Not used before says they can be added to the system via the filling loop. But does the pressure need taking off the system first?

 

[king of pipes]

Yep not totally but 0.5 bar at least . Kop

 

[Matt0029]

Thanks so I can just remove the pressure via the filling loop and the dose via there?

 

[king of pipes]

Yep if you have a dosing pump or a adapted plant spray to get it in under pressure , if not isolate a rad at the valves drop the water out a wet vac is best then you can dose via the 1/2" plug Screwfix do a dosing adapter cheap as chips . Kop

 

[Matt0029]

Thanks it comes in a rapid dose container.

 

[king of pipes]

Thanks it comes in a rapid dose container.

Even easier then bud ✅

 

[Chester]

Well, it's interesting what Fernox told me. They were advertising F8 and I questioned how a PH neutral formula could work as a descaler. I received a detailed reply which included the following information:

[***] the neutral pH cleaner will not react directly with hardened limescale deposits. Loose non-adherent limescale deposits/particulates would be assisted in removal during the flushing process. If limescale dissolution is the primary purpose of a clean then an acidic cleaner such as Fernox DS40 should be used.

Exactly, it's nonsense imo, it's got that feel good factor though as you're doing it I guess.