Unblocking heat exchanger ?

[Irish]

Evening all I mainly do installs do very little mantainence, woman rang me said she has hot water for 10 secs then goes cold so I'm presuming it's blocked exchanger is there a quick way of unblocking it or is it just easier to replace it? Thanks in advance

 

[Doodlebug]

Evening all I mainly do installs do very little mantainence, woman rang me said she has hot water for 10 secs then goes cold so I'm presuming it's blocked exchanger is there a quick way of unblocking it or is it just easier to replace it? Thanks in advance

If its the calorifier, I remove it add F5 apply heat until it bubbles then tap with Gordon's, repeat this process a few times and then flush through with the outside tap. Works every time for me.


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[Irish]

Thanks fella, excuse my ignorance but what's Gordon's??

 

[Doodlebug]

Thanks fella, excuse my ignorance but what's Gordon's??

Grips.


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[Doodlebug]

You can hit it with anything that agitates it really, just be careful to use flat edge so as not to dent it.


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[Millsy 82]

I would just replace it save messing about with it.

 

[Doodlebug]

I would just replace it save messing about with it.

Quicker to replace, but I like to complete the job on the first visit. Happier customers.


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[stevetheplumber]

im with doodle i find a nice concrete path is the ideal place to bang it then shake and rinse for a while repeat flush both ways if you do it into a bucketyou can see whats coming out its only the heating side you need to do

 

[Millsy 82]

Quicker to replace, but I like to complete the job on the first visit. Happier customers.


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Its different for you with the customers being on contract when I used to do contract work I did the same but got called back later on with the same thing what I do now is just swap it saves being called back free of charge because it hasnt cleaned it as well as youd hoped.

 

[Doodlebug]

Its different for you with the customers being on contract when I used to do contract work I did the same but got called back later on with the same thing what I do now is just swap it saves being called back free of charge because it hasnt cleaned it as well as youd hoped.

I've not had a callback after cleaning a calorifier yet. You can tell when testing the boiler if it's worked or not. What chemical do you use?



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[Millsy 82]

Its been ages since I cleaned 1 I think it was x400 (Sentinel sludge remover) but its like greasing up a fan a lad on our company loves doing it within 6 months I get sent out free of charge and the fan is shot so needs replacing I get the whole "well he said he sorted it so I am not paying" usually followed by OK bye have a nice hot bath tonight it just makes my life harder and for the price of a plate its I cant see the point.

 

[Dannypipe]

Just cos the water runs cold after 10 seconds doesn't mean its the heat ex'. What system is it? Is it a Gledhill thermal store by any chance?

 

[Doodlebug]

Its been ages since I cleaned 1 I think it was x400 (Sentinel sludge remover) but its like greasing up a fan a lad on our company loves doing it within 6 months I get sent out free of charge and the fan is shot so needs replacing I get the whole "well he said he sorted it so I am not paying" usually followed by OK bye have a nice hot bath tonight it just makes my life harder and for the price of a plate its I cant see the point.

What's he using on the fan? I thoroughly clean the fan with WD40 and then lubricate with fan oil.


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[TBServices]

If i had a BG contract, and a bloke came and sprayed wd40 on my fan, I'd be peeved.


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[Doodlebug]

If i had a BG contract, and a bloke came and sprayed wd40 on my fan, I'd be peeved.


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Why is that? Did you know every part that goes onto a customers boiler affects the renewal price, so surely if it doesn't need replacing then don't replace it.
The WD40 is just to clean the fan, the fan lube is what does the trick. You generally get a feel for what fans need replacing and what fans don't, the smell you get from them is usually a good indication.

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[diamondgas]

Evening all I mainly do installs do very little mantainence, woman rang me said she has hot water for 10 secs then goes cold so I'm presuming it's blocked exchanger is there a quick way of unblocking it or is it just easier to replace it? Thanks in advance

May be just residual heat in the p-hex for 10 seconds and the water flow detection device isn't working?...... Just a thought Maybe a few more tests need to be be performed before you go about pulling the guts out of a boiler, swilling it with gunk and bashing it about IMHO

 

[Irish]

Not sure Dannypipe she rang me and I didn't fancy looking at it at 7 this evening, she had a friend do it he bodged loads of stuff in the place it's a nightmare having a combi in a loft right in the corner trying to balance of the joists while standing on your head getting into to the awkward parts of a boiler

 

[Dannypipe]

Well as Diamond just said, and I implied...it's not always the heat ex. So be sure to check everything out. I find scaled heat ex's quite rare and I live in kent, where the water is as hard as Bruce Lee.

 

[Irish]

Haha not as hard as chuck Norris? yeah I kinda thought that, as its not particularly hard round here and she said boiler is only 4 years old but I was only asking incase that it was in order to save me time messing about washing it out etc thanks

 

[Dannypipe]

No ones as hard (or hairy) as Chuck!

Fair enough. You know the score, I was just letting you know my thoughts. Could be a a few other things, and if its not hard water round your way, then I would look at them first. Save you a lot of messing about!!

 

[diamondgas]

Haha not as hard as chuck Norris? yeah I kinda thought that, as its not particularly hard round here and she said boiler is only 4 years old but I was only asking incase that it was in order to save me time messing about washing it out etc thanks

You got to follow sequence of events Irish. Could be anything TBH .. 4 yrs old it may be a boiler with pre-heat and that's all the custard is getting Would need more details on make and model !

 

[Irish]

Its a Wb greenstar cdi

 

[stevetheplumber]

Well as Diamond just said, and I implied...it's not always the heat ex. So be sure to check everything out. I find scaled heat ex's quite rare and I live in kent, where the water is as hard as Bruce Lee.

its not scale that were talking about its the little black particles that block the heating side usually happens between a year and 2 when the system hasnt been cleaned when the boiler was fitted

 

[diamondgas]

Personally I'd be checking that the water flow is being detected and then see what's going on if it is

 

[Dannypipe]

its not scale that were talking about its the little black particles that block the heating side usually happens between a year and 2 when the system hasnt been cleaned when the boiler was fitted

Well I wouldn't know about that as I always clean my systems so carefully that it isnt an issue.

Joking aside, I take your point. I still find it a rare occurance. As I have said before though, I tend to work mainly on larger systems, and don't have much to do with combi boilers. Maybe two or three a year.

I do however do loads of work with thermal stores, and often other engineers have concluded that the heat ex' is silted up with either limescale or magnetite. 9/10 times its a thermistor and nothing to do with heat ex'.