Complete Guide to Heating System Maintenance: Leak Prevention and Cleaning
The treatment of the heating system is crucial for optimal operation. There are various products on the market for treating radiator systems or underfloor heating.
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Closing Leaks in the Heating System
Special attention is needed for older heating systems. From experience, an iron heating system on the ground floor of a building is more prone to leaks. This happens because the moisture in the ground and uninsulated pipes lead to rusting and puncturing of the pipes.
There are products that are real lifesavers for restoring the functionality of the heating system with holes or gaps.
Sealant Liquids
Sealant liquids or stop-leak agents create a thin layer that seals holes or pores in the heating system’s pipes. These liquids close leaks where the source cannot be identified, for example in:
- Pipes under the floor
- Embedded pipes
The effect of leaks is perceived when it’s necessary to restore the system’s pressure too often, for example daily or every week. However, it’s often not possible to determine where the leak is:
- There are no evident traces of dampness
- The boiler has been checked and no leaks are detected (Not even from the condensate discharge pipe when the boiler is off)
- All individual radiators have been checked and there are no wet or rusted areas
- Elements and valves of the radiators are all dry
- The boiler’s expansion tank maintains the correct charge
At this point, if the issue drags on over time and it’s confirmed that there is a leak in some piping, sealant liquids or stop-leak agents can be used.
These liquids require some technical knowledge and should be dosed in proportion to the size of the system. Also be careful with heating devices that might be affected by the application of this product if not dosed correctly. Always seek the help of a qualified expert.
- The procedure involves draining the system and injecting the solution also using a syringe in the system’s water.
- Follow the instructions for using the product, which always suggest the percentage of liquid to inject based on the system’s water
- Most times it’s necessary to reseal the injection site and restore the correct pressure in the system, then restart the device to mix the solution
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Cleaning the System
As a rule, cleaning the system should be done every 10 to 15 years, also to recover the system’s performance which deteriorates over the years and to mitigate the blocking of some elements of the radiators, especially if they are aluminum.
Normally, it can take several days to complete.
Cleaning Iron and Aluminum Systems
It’s important to keep the heating system efficient over the years. In heating systems with radiators / cast iron and aluminum heaters, the following form:
- Sludge
- Debris and metallic dust
The reasons for this dirt deposit are as follows:
- The water circulating in the heating system is always the same
- This same water reacts with the materials of the system over the long term
- Corrosion increases with the different materials used in the system (Copper/Brass/Cast Iron/Aluminum)
- The moving dust increases the aggressiveness of the system’s water towards the system’s materials themselves.
For this reason, cleaning the heating system is mandatory when changing the boiler. Not only to recover the system’s performance, which deteriorates over the years, but also to preserve the new device from damage.
In fact, new condensation devices, to achieve such high efficiencies, require perfectly clean and efficient systems.
To aid in the cleaning of the system, there are several categories of products such as:
- Sludge removers
- Neutralizers
- Film-forming agents
Sludge Removal Products for Heating System Cleaning
In the case of metallic sludge deposited on radiators/heaters in cast iron, the main problem is magnetite deposits. The same dust that forms the sludge, being metallic in nature, gets deposited and remains attached to pipes and radiators. These liquids act as dispersing agents, resuspending the dirt.
Cleaning with these liquids should always be done by correctly dosing the product in proportion to the amount of water in the system. This can be done with:
- An external pump that also filters the return water
- With the boiler’s pump itself as long as there is a sufficiently large magnetic filter to collect the coarse particulate.
Ultimately, it will still be necessary to drain all the water from the system to clean the suspended residues and possibly finish treating the system with an inhibitor liquid. The inhibitor liquid will help prolong the cleaning and eliminate the residues of the sludge removal product.
Floor Heating System Cleaning
Due to the nature of the operation of floor heating systems, the water circulating at temperatures below 40 degrees allows for the formation of so-called algae. This can significantly affect the collector that during the operation of the opening and closing pistons can lead to leaks. Not to mention, some areas might end up being completely blocked and cold.
In this regard, algaecides are used and the working time can range from 6 hours to a full day.
Zero Discharge Cleaning
Following new regulations regarding the recovery and delivery to the ecological island of cleaning products, from 2022 we opt for a zero discharge solution. The washing is always carried out through the magnetic sludge filter and a cleaning liquid.
In the first weeks of the boiler’s operation in winter mode, the cleaning liquid acts as a dispersant and detaches the dirt particles from the radiators. 3 days after the heating system comes into service, the filter gets clogged and needs to be washed. This continues every 3 days until the complete cleaning of the heating system (about 1-2 weeks).
Accessories for System Cleaning
The market has been enriched with excellent products for continuous system cleaning. Today we find magnetic sludge removers capable of protecting boilers from metallic sludge suspended in the technical water of the heating system. These products are a MUST-HAVE, indispensable for the modern boiler.
If correctly connected to a drain, they allow for autonomous filter cleaning. Most of these indeed have a drain tap that allows for quick filter cleaning. In this way, the filters can be used alone or together with a cleaning product occasionally to keep the heating circuit clean and protect the boiler.
Magnetic filters at the boiler inlet are practically indispensable for:
- Protecting the boiler from dust that would quickly clog the boiler’s heat exchanger
- If not present, the boiler is more susceptible to overheating and cracks in the primary heat exchanger
- In case of active warranty, the manufacturer always asks if the system has been cleaned and protection used
