Microbore Grrrrr

[MH]

Looks like I may have to replumb my central heating system.

3 rads not heating up, pulled the trvs and lock valves to find micro bore blocked.
Attacked with mains pressure, but to no avail.

Currently got some cleaner whooshing around, but not optimistic!

Any further ideas, can attack again on Thursday?

 

[wasnotwasD]

Not a plumber as you well know
Done any D I Y lately, to maybe put a kink in it??

Anyway, I remember putting tablets into tanks, years ago. They worked wonders. But never had to get through mini-bore.

Hope it sorts it out m8.
But at least you've got a heatwave coming up.

So you wont be needing it just yet lol.

 

[MH]

Yeah that's the only bonus D!

She was complaining earlier in the tear that her corner was cold ....lol

Nah no kinks Deco blocked with black ferrous crud.

 

[wasnotwasD]

Maybe you could start by tapping them off . By "them" I mean the 3 rads you've courteously allowed P to have in her corner lol.
Flush them before putting back in line.
Hose the remaining gap up, and try to clear it.
The blockage is likely to be before the first rad, in my way of thinking.
But anyway, its a start lol.

Unless you get a pro, to give some advice first.

Having said that.

Its nearly re-plumbing anyway lol

 

[MH]

Well it all started when the plumber came around to do the Boiler service.

He started by turning the heating on first to check all the rads and that's when he noticed they were not working.

So we dropped and flushed all the rads.

We opened the blocked ends, and fired up the Boiler and ramped it up to 3 bar. We also tried to back flush with mains.

There are 2 22mm running the length of the house and it looks like each rad is T'd of that.
Landing is full of holes....

 

[abj876]

Hi, i am a heating engineer, its sounds to me like the manifold is blocked, sometimes you have to take the boards up generally in the upstairs hallway and find the manifold, cut all the ends take it out and rod it through, a manifold is where your main 22mm flow and return pipes join into all the minibore pipes, you should see 2 big pipes joining into lots of little ones.

generally you will find just a couple of the outlets are blocked which will stop the flow to the radiator it feeds, try that and post back some pics when you have the floor up.

its a step you need to take to rule out that possibility.

Ash

 

[MH]

Cheers Ash, there does not appear to be a manifold.

The rads seem to be T'd off the main. We found the T for the kitchen rad and disconnected it, tried flushing, even used a foot pump at one point to try and force it out.
Used the earth from T&E to try and clear too.

 

[abj876]

I See, Minibore can be right pain, sometimes i have had to completely re-pipe the whole drop to a radiator in 15mm to sort the problem out and to eliminate any future blockage issues.

have you tried turning all the radiators off and just leave the ones that are not working on?

this can sometimes get things moving around.

sometimes the blockage can be so hard its impossible to budge! no pump or power flusher will work.

I'm afraid to say it may be a complete drain down and to trace the pipes back to main tees, disconnect and re-run new ones or keep cutting out sections until you find the blockage.

 

[MH]

That's my fear too! Well the house is needing decorated.....