Cleaning a typical central heating system
Cleaning a typical central heating system
If you require work carried out on your fully pumped gas central heating system you may want to empty the system. To substitute the heating boiler or a heating radiator is a standard cause. This is often implemented by the plumber during repair or extension work although some experienced homeowners have been known to empty their own heating systems.
In most situations Flushing the central heating is performed to clean the metal radiators. Before you do anything to the actual heating radiator you should turn off the heating boiler and any gas or electric that supplies the heating boiler. It is also essential that you do not let any additional water into the central heating system while you flush it.
Your Central Heating expansion cylinder is where the water is fed into the system. A standard ball valve is used in the expansion cystern similar to that in a toilet. This ball valve is a ball connected to an arm that, when raised closes the valve, which means when the water tank is full no more water can arrive because the valve is blocked. As the water level falls, say through Emptying, the ball drops in the tank opening the valve and allowing more water to enter the heating system. To fully clear the gas heating system this top up process will need to be stopped. One of the best ways to end this is by placing a piece of wood across the cylinder and tying the value arm to it, which will close this valve.
Once you have finished the above run a hose from an outdoors drain to the outlet of at the bottom of one of your radiators. The gas central heating system can now empty by water flowing out of the metal radiator, through the outlet valve, and into the external empty. The hose pipe should be attached to one of the lower radiators if you intend to clean the whole heating system. You must make sure before you start cleansing or replacing your heating radiator that all of the water has been drained out.
The process can be speeded up by opening the bleed valves in the top floor radiators. Work can start when all the water has flushed outdoors.