Flushing gas central heating systems before additional work
Flushing gas central heating systems before additional work
Cleaning a fully pumped gas central heating system makes it easier to work on the system. To fit a temperature metal radiator valve or replace a failed metal radiator are two cases. Draining your system is something that can be completed by the none expert but competent diy practician.
In most situations Cleaning the central heating is implemented to clean the metal radiators. Before any work is undertaken you need to turn off the water heating pump and gas fired boiler. Another important step is to ensure that no additional water enters the gas central heating system whilst you are Emptying it.
The expansion cystern in the attic is used to normally top up the system with water. This has a ball-valve that is the same as the one seen in your toilet cystern. The ball floats on the water surface raising a metal arm closing the valve when the water has reached the correct level. If water level falls the ball, floating on the surface, also falls opening the valve and allowing more water into the gas heating system. To fully clean the gas central heating system this top up process will need to be stopped. Using a metal or wooden rod to prevent the ball leaves are falling in the tank will stop water going into the system as the water is drained.
Now take a hose emptying into an outdoors clear and connect this to the outlet valve on the bottom of your metal radiator. The water from your radiator will rate of flow through the hosepipe and out of your heating radiator system. The hosepipe needs to be attached to the lowest point in your central heating system which will be one of the ground floor radiators. You now need to be patient and check that all the water has discharged out and that no more water is getting in before any other work is executed on the central heating system.
If you need to complete this process rapidly you can also vent the bleed valves on the metal radiators on the upper floors. When the water is drained off you are free to work on your heating radiator.