Radiator valves

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, jetzi said:

 

Makes sense. Could I ask specifically what brand and what quantity you used?

 

Since the engine cooling system is huge, I'm going to need comparatively more of the flush product, right? Sticking with the Prestone brand, it comes in a 1 litre bottle for around 12 gbp, which is intended to do a car system which is typically less than 10 litres. It's not going to be affordable to buy 8 of these (100 quids worth) to do one flush!

 

I presume the output of this flush also needs to be disposed of as hazardous waste by taking it to the tip for recycling?

 

I just used the red 5 year antifreeze my local motor factors stocked (I got a discount) and diluted it 3:1 for the engine and central heating. Personally I find the distilled water thing hard to believe in a properly set up sealed system that needs all but zero topping up. Any dissolved air will be driven out soon after the first run.

 

I suppose there may be some residual antifreeze in the first flush but it would be very diluted. I would put in down a drain. The flushing agent can only be some form of detergent plus scale dissolver so I would happily put that down the drain.

 

In recognition of the likely larger volume of coolant in the skin tank I just put a couple of cans of the flush the motor factors sold. Motor factors will not stay in business long if they supply the trade with dodgy goods, unlike Ebay and Amazon sellers who are aiming at the retail market. You get good second line brands in motor factors that are well known in the trade but not outside it. Fleetline is one but there are several others.

 

 

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I suppose there may be some residual antifreeze in the first flush but it would be very diluted. I would put in down a drain. The flushing agent can only be some form of detergent plus scale dissolver so I would happily put that down the drain.

Only put these down a mains connected foul water drain e.g. down a domestic toilet or an elsan point. They should not go into a stormwater drain, which may discharge directly into a river, or into a drainage system which empties to a septic tank.

Edited April 11, 2021 by David Mack

[jetzi]

I want to put lockshield valves on my calorifier as well, so I can balance the flow and avoid short-cycling if necessary. The calorifier has 22mm compression fittings. However the lockshield valves that I find are all designed to screw directly into radiators. Does a 22mm elbow with a suitable valve exist? Or should I rather use a normal 22mm elbow and an inline gate valve to control the flow?  (something like https://www.toolstation.com/made4trade-gate-valve/p16924)

 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by jetzi

[David Mack]

That's what I did. I already had a gate valve in the radiator pipe, to shut the heating off in summer, but in winter I had too much heat going to the calorifier and too little to the radiators, so I just cut the calorifier pipe and inserted a gate valve. It needs to be about 1/4-1/3 open to balance the flows, but in summer with the rad valve closed I open it up fully for quicker calorifier heat up (bearing in mind that my system runs on the puny Alde circulating pump).