How do I drain and flush out a central heat system? I recently replaced a radiator contained by a bathroon that was starting...
I recently replaced a radiator contained by a bathroon that was starting to rust along its bottom perimeter. No problem with removing and fitting the radiator, adjectives is back working ok. My sound out is; the water drained out from the removed radiator be black. Is this normal? Is this cause by the rust inhibitor? Should I be draining down the whole system and flushing it through and later refilling next to clean wet and rust inhibitor? if so, how is it done?
Answers: The black is magentite - iron crystals, and you need to remove as much as you can haaving it whooshing round the system can prejudice items like the pump. Check whether you pipework have drainage points (many don't) - you can usually introduce an inhibitor via the tank if it have one, otherwise it is a little bit more complicated.
You can can drain via one of the lowest radiator valve (fit a length of hosepipe with a 3/4 " thread to bear the water outside, and antoher to put the river in). As refillling is done by the boiler, you can introduce inhibitor via the valve, after flushing the system through.
My own vista is that if it is a modern system and is run without nouns in it at hand should be no oxidation, ie rusting, but realise that others may dissent, as it relies on keeping all the radiators bled (ie lacking air).
When you drained the bathroom radiator you should have drained the complete system? You still can, or if you have a drain point connect a hose and go away it running for a while with your D water still turned on. This will flush the system.
To flush it correctly you can buy a radiator flush from Plumb mainstay or where ever. Take a radiator sour again leaving valve on the radiator. turn one valve past its sell-by date and pour flush in from other. when adjectives flush is in radiator turn sour the valve this will see you to turn radiator right way up to fit subsidise on the wall and reconnect.
Refill your system with dampen and bleed as normal.
Run your heat for 24 hours,turn it off,turn stale your water supply and drain your complete system.
When drained repeat satisfying radiator as you did with flush but this time use inhibitor also available from same place,the inhibitor stays within your system.
you should have a much cleaner heat system.