Our system is 10 years old now. Install engineer was very against adding anti bacterial additives. I thought we did anyway. But theres clearly a load of gunk in there now.
1) is this an issue?
2) house is very well insulated, UFH runs at very low temperature (varied based on external temp) and slow pump speed and just two zones. We've got two upper floors which run together.
This is the manifold on the top floor and the gauges don't seem to move any more - theres definitely flow (I can hear it and I've turned it up a lot so I can take temp readings with a laser thermometer off the floors).
Is this an issue or one brewing?
I’ve seen a magnetic filter totally blocked up by bacteria growth. I took the top off, thought it was the usual black gunge of iron and any other junk in the system, but no, it wasnt stuck to the magnet, and was more like a thick jelly substance. The system was a low temperature design that always ran at below 50 degrees C, so prime territory for bacteria growth. A flush out, adding in anti-bac fluid for two weeks, another flush, then another top up with anti-bac and inhibitor has kept it clean for the last year.
I’ve seen a magnetic filter totally blocked up by bacteria growth. I took the top off, thought it was the usual black gunge of iron and any other junk in the system, but no, it wasnt stuck to the magnet, and was more like a thick jelly substance. The system was a low temperature design that always ran at below 50 degrees C, so prime territory for bacteria growth. A flush out, adding in anti-bac fluid for two weeks, another flush, then another top up with anti-bac and inhibitor has kept it clean for the last year.
below 50? This flows at 29C for 0C external.
Ours are worse than that, and that's after flushing out and replacing the flow gauges a couple of years ago.
Monitoring thread closely.....
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6210805/flow-meters-on-heating-manifold-not-moving
seems you can strip down and clean the flow meters, but looks like there are different designs. and unless the system is clean I'd guess they'll just gunk up again quickly.
but looking at how they work doesn't look like it would take that much gunk to stop them showing flow, but wouldn't affect operation of the system?
Update on this - the circuits on that floor aren’t flowing so no heat. So yes, it is a problem.
Would normally try a diy flush but I’m a week after collarbone surgery and haven’t been able to work for a month already so paetner, who I work with, overwhelmed as well. Waiting on heating engineer to look next week
Following this also. Our ufh has started playing up and the flow guages look manky too. Our radiators up stairs are also refusing to come on in sympathy. I think it's a bit the house going from holiday home to home and it is stress testing lots of bits.
Fortunately it's not been bitter here yet and we fired up the log burner for the few cold evenings. CH engineer coming on Tuesday for us.
below 50? This flows at 29C for 0C external.
Yes, sorry for the late reply. It was an electric boiler, maximum flow was 45 iirc. A real nasty bacteria infection in it. All low temperature wet heating systems should have inhibitor and anti bacteria additives. The anti-bac is regularly missed.