Powerflush heating system

[WabiSabi]

Hi again all,

We have a mega build up of crap in our rads and expansion tank is grimy, we need to flush it through!

Is there a way to attach a hose to the radiators one in and one obviously out, so we can jet it through at a waterpoint?

Also what would you suggest we put in the water to help break down the crud prior?

Thanks in advance ??

[Tracy D'arth]

Screwfix sell cleaner.   Best is to take the rads out to wash through.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Screwfix sell cleaner.   Best is to take the rads out to wash through.

Precisely this. Invert em off the boat.

[WabiSabi]

Thanks for the responses but neither helped answer my question regarding whether it's possible to attach a hose directly to the rads? And which cleaner

[David Mack]

I am sure you could find pipe fittings to connect a radiator valve connection to a hose tail. But why bother? Any leak and you'll have a black mess on the boat floor. With most rads, if you have already drained the rad and disconnected the pipework (which you need to do for your approach anyway) then it's easy to lift it off the bracket to take outside and flush properly.

[WabiSabi]

I don't wanna miss all the crap that's in my back boiler and pipework throughout you see

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, WabiSabi said:

I don't wanna miss all the crap that's in my back boiler and pipework throughout you see

If you take the bung out at the top at either end then yes you can get a standard hose pipe in there, we used to fill the large systems on the Notts Princess like that sometimes to top up. However you will have to do them all seperately.

[nicknorman]

45 minutes ago, WabiSabi said:

I don't wanna miss all the crap that's in my back boiler and pipework throughout you see

What I did (for house system) is drain down the system, take each radiator off and flush through outside. It is amazing how much black gunge (magnetite) comes out! This gets rid of most of it but there is still stuff on the pipe internals and heat exchangers /boilers etc. So then refill with an additive like Fernox F3 https://www.screwfix.com/p/fernox-f3-central-heating-cleaner-500ml/51463#product_additional_details_container

 

Which you leave in for a bit of use. Then drain down and flush a few times, fill again and add a corrosion inhibitor. The black gunge is oxidised iron so you need the corrosion inhibitor to prevent it recurring. You can use car antifreeze which has corrosion inhibitor as well as antifreeze properties, but if you use the blue stuff bear in mind it needs to be renewed every couple of years.

[WabiSabi]

So helpful thank you ☺️

[Ac sparky]

Just done this to our boat if you get a 15 mm pipe about 4” with a straight compression fitting one end-that will fit to the pipe, short length of hose the other with jubilee  ring to hold it on then your hose push fit fittings good to go, if you flush the rads separately don’t forget to shut them down before you flush the pipes you can also reverse the hose pipes to give it a back flush