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The quality of the heat supply systems may deteriorate over time, for sure, most people had to deal with this at one time. Many people now have to live in houses built at least twenty years ago.

It is in such buildings that this problem is most often encountered. Poor circulation of the coolant, the role of which is most often played by water, causes poor heating. The corrosion process degrades the quality of water, impurities in which are deposited on the inner walls of pipes and radiators, preventing the normal passage of heat.

Naturally, there is a way out of this situation - or, for more "neglected" cases, its chemical purification (read also: ""). The photo clearly shows the difference between pipes with a layer of deposits accumulated over the years of operation of the system without regular cleaning, and pipes cleaned by one of the above methods.

We will consider a detailed description of such a problem, the reasons for its occurrence and a description of how to solve it in this article. Following the instructions below, you can independently learn how to clean the heating pipes and establish a high-quality operation of the heating system in your house or apartment.

Why you need to clean your heating system

By cleaning the heating system, you will make it work more efficiently, and the heating of your own home will become much better. The problem of pollution of heating equipment lies mainly in inadequate water quality.

Scale, gathering on the inner walls of pipes, radiators and other components of the heating system, is the cause of:

• Acceleration of mechanical wear of pipelines and batteries
• Reduced heating efficiency.

According to experts, scale only one millimeter thick reduces heat transfer by fifteen percent. This significantly reduces the quality of the system and its efficiency. The throughput and heat dissipation of the system deteriorate. This result is explained by a decrease in thermal resistance, the decrease of which is caused by deposits.

Cleaning the heating system - work technology

The complex of works related to the cleaning of the heating system consists of the following stages:

• Primary diagnosis. As a result, the nature of the formed scale and the composition of the deposits are determined.
• Selection of necessary.
• Drawing up a technological map.
• Anti-corrosion treatment is necessary to prevent further formation of various kinds of deposits and scale. Its execution follows the cleanup.

There are the following methods for cleaning heating systems from deposits formed:

• Hydrodynamic
• Pneumohydropulse
• Chemical

Chemical cleaning of the heating system

According to experts, the latter type of cleaning is so popular and in demand precisely because, in comparison with other methods, it removes almost any deposits most quickly and efficiently.

As a rule, aqueous solutions of organic and mineral acids, solvents, and alkalis are used as cleaning agents. When using this kind of cleaning agent for heating systems, you must be extremely careful and attentive, use eye and skin protection equipment in your work, since each of the solutions listed above is toxic.

For systems equipped with aluminum radiators, these are not suitable, as they can violate the tightness of the nodes.

To carry out the work requires special equipment:

• Pumps
• Hoses
• Capacities
• Powder and liquid cleaners

Carrying out cleaning in this way in preparation for the heating season will require several days (more details: ""). As a result, capacity will be fully restored, avoiding a major overhaul in the event of system failure.

Hydrodynamic cleaning of the heating system

Or - flushing the batteries. The desired result is achieved here with the help of high-pressure water, which destroys deposits and removes them from the system (more: ""). Special adapters and nozzles are used to connect the pipeline to external equipment that directs water into the system for cleaning.

The disadvantage of this method can be considered higher, in comparison with the previous one, the cost of work, which is offset by the safety of work and high quality cleaning. For heating systems with cast-iron batteries, this method is the best, since cast-iron radiators are more prone to contamination with deposits, it is quite difficult to rinse with chemical solutions.

Pneumohydropulse cleaning of the heating system

It is the best way, if necessary, to clean the system without stopping its operation. A compact water pneumatic gun is able to clean a pipeline with a cross section of up to fifteen centimeters. Additionally, you will need a connecting hose, "American" and adapters.

There are two most common cleaning methods:

1. Flushing of boilers with chemicals preheated to a certain temperature. The solution is fed into the system with the help of a pump and, reacting with scale and destroying it, goes further along with the deposits to the outside (read also: "").
2. Mechanical cleaning of boilers is carried out using brushes, scrapers and special mechanical devices. Before cleaning the gas boiler in a similar way from soot, it is necessary to fill the system with water, which should be brought to a boil, drained and then walked over the contaminated surface with a metal brush.

Watch an informative video about cleaning the heating system:

Cleaning the heating system of a private house will allow its owners to extend the period of its effective uninterrupted operation, reduce the cost of heating the mansion and eliminate damage to heating equipment.

Owners of private houses who live in them all year round know that installing and maintaining a heating system is not cheap, so it is important to pay attention to protecting complex equipment from various hazards and pollution. For this, special filter elements are used.

In order for the heating system in the house to work properly for many years, it is necessary to install special filters that will protect pipes and radiators from clogging, rust, scale, and pollutants. Magnetic, mud, settling tanks and other types of structures will extend the life of expensive equipment and allow you not to worry about premature breakdowns.

The owners will only need timely replacement of filter elements and scheduled maintenance of equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions.

There are the following types of filters for heating:

1. Coarse or pre-cleaning. They must be installed at the stage of connection to the central water supply (if possible). The most reliable model is a sump with a flask for the accumulation of pollutants.
2. Fine cleaning. Detains pollution up to 100 microns in size.
3. Magnetic devices. Attract metallized components - chips, rust, etc.

Let's consider in more detail each of the types.

Coarse filters - designed to trap large contaminants and can be installed simultaneously in several parts of the system. Presented with the following modifications:

1. Mud tank: connected to the central heating system, at branch points (can be flanged, welded, threaded),
2. Settling filter: a more modern model, dirt is retained in a special flask made of heat-resistant plastic (due to the transparency of the flask, you can control its filling level).
3. Fine cleaning - are installed as an addition to coarse cleaning devices. The main impact on themselves in such devices is taken by square or cylindrical cassettes installed inside. Such devices can be attached to the wall, which is especially important for plastic pipes.
4. Magnetic filters- consist of two magnets with opposite poles. Metal waste, falling into a magnetic field, is attracted and retained by such a device. Also, the design can be equipped with a dirt filter. Magnetic models can be either removable and easy enough to install on the pipe, or non-removable. Recommended as an additional cleaning device.

Many people ask themselves the question - is it worth spending money on buying all types of filters, perhaps only a coarse cleaning device will be enough? Experts assure that the most effective protection will be provided by all types of structures that will delay possible pollution and impurities to the maximum. The coarse filter will only cope with large particles, and this is not enough for the full operation of the heating system for a long time.

VIDEO

As the name implies, a water purification filter is designed to protect the coolant from various contaminants that enter the system with a water stream.

Filters delay:

• lime,
• sand,
• dirt,
• dust,
• gaseous impurities.

Mechanical models retain particles larger than 0.3 microns. It is convenient to wash the grid of such a device manually under running water and put it back.

Electronic options are more expensive, but retain pollution up to 0.01 microns in size.

Manufacturers also offer coal models that absorb unpleasant odors and chemical impurities well.

Cleaning heating systems with filters provides:

• protection of expensive equipment,
• increasing the service life of equipment,
• savings on maintenance of the heating system.

Installation, maintenance, flushing can be done on your own.

In general, the algorithm for installing the filter is as follows:

1. Before starting work, flush the heating system if it is not new. Remove dirt, rust, sediment from the pipeline.
2. Check the compatibility of the equipment and the purchased filter.
3. Install the device in front of the gas boiler or pump. If there is no pump, then the installation is performed before the pipe enters the heating boiler.
4. It is recommended to install shut-off valves before and after the structure, which will ensure ease of replacement and flushing in the future.

The installation site, if possible, should be convenient for maintenance, because the device will need to be flushed regularly.

How often to service the heating system at home - instructions

The filter must be cleaned at least once a month during the heating season.

In order to clean up, you must:

1. Turn off the water in the area where the filter is installed.
2. Substitute a container for draining water, remove the plug of the device.
3. Remove the mesh, clean it from dirt, rinse under running water.
4. Put the grid in place, tighten the plug.
5. Open valves.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

In case of severe contamination, it may be necessary to completely dismantle the device and then replace it.

In addition to cleaning and replacing filters, you must:

• before the start of the heating season, test the system, check the operation of the boiler, flush the pipes,
• clean the boiler furnaces, chimney, check the operation of the burner, eliminate leaks, regulate gas pressure.

Careful attention to the heating system and its working elements will extend the life of the equipment and ensure its uninterrupted operation throughout the heating season.

For the correct and efficient operation of your heating system, it is necessary to carry out preventive work from time to time, such as inspection, repair, maintenance and flushing of the system. After all, if water is used as a coolant in the pipes, then scale, rust and clogging occur in them over time. As a result, the water circulates poorly, which leads to heat loss. It has been verified that a heating system that has not been flushed for a long time loses 10% in efficiency. Therefore, flushing should be a regular procedure. Do-it-yourself flushing of the heating system is possible. Let's see how to perform it.

Why flushing is needed

First of all, flushing is needed in order to remove various debris and rust that accumulate in radiators and pipes during operation. As a result, it turns out that the heating system does not function at 100%. You pay money for heat, but you do not receive it in full. Moreover, we all know that when water is heated, scale forms, especially if the water is contaminated. You can verify this by looking at your teapot. If you have not cleaned it for a long time, then at the bottom you can see a layer of scale. The same happens with pipes and radiators. Due to scale, the pipe cross section can be halved, which reduces the permeability of water in the system and its heat transfer (this applies to metal pipes).

It is clear that it is impossible to determine by appearance whether your system needs flushing or not. But you just need to observe how the system functions and take some actions. So, you can find out whether pipes and radiators need to be flushed or not by the following signs:

• The system takes longer to warm up than usual.
• When the boiler is running, extraneous noises are heard that were not observed before.
• The radiator warms up partially: it is warm on top, but not on the bottom, or the last fins are cold.
• The radiator is absolutely cold, and the supply pipe is hot.
• Recently, the consumption of thermal energy has increased, you have begun to pay more for gas.

All these signs will help you decide on flushing pipes and radiators. This will improve the performance of your heating system.

If the radiator warms up partially, this is not always a sign of system clogging. Maybe he's just overwhelmed. In this case, you need to release air from the radiator, using Mayevsky's taps.

Getting Started

When you are convinced that you really need to flush, you can start doing it yourself. Such a procedure cannot be called simple, so you will have to make some efforts and spend a lot of time. First you need to perform a hydraulic flush.

First of all, you need to turn off the water supply and drain it from the heating system. If you live in a high-rise building, you will have to go to the basement. Since it may be closed, make sure you have access to it in advance. If you are a resident of a private house, this procedure is easier to perform. Now disconnect the radiators from the pipes and remove them. It is difficult to do this on your own, of course, if you are not Hercules, since cast-iron radiators are quite heavy. So ask for help. If the connection cannot be untwisted, the coupling must be heated.

After dismantling the battery, it can be pre-cleaned mechanically. It is inconvenient to perform further work in an apartment or house, since they involve the use of a large volume of water. Put the radiator upside down, covering the hole that is on the bottom. Then, using a hose, fill the battery with water. Next, the water must be released through the hole from below, opening it. If the water literally "flew" out of the hole and carried debris and scale with it, you did everything right. The whole process must be repeated until the water that comes out of the battery is clean.

Since the hot water moved through the radiator in one direction, the scale it left formed in the form of scales. By turning the radiator over, you run the water in the opposite direction, which helps the water to better remove all the scale. If this method is ineffective in your case, and contamination still remains, consider other cleaning options. They will help to cope with various contaminants and clean not only radiators, but also pipes.

Without removing batteries

To date, there are a lot of types of flushing the heating system. You can use each of them. Consider 5 different technologies for cleaning the heating system:

1. Chemical flush.
2. Disperse washing.
3. Electrohydropulse washing.
4. Pneumohydropulse washing.

Chemical washing consists in the use of special chemically active substances. It can be whey, caustic soda, vinegar, phosphoric, orthophosphoric and other acids, special formulations bought in the store. The specifics of flushing the system depends on the choice of means. If you use a special composition, instructions for work are written on the package. This sequence was developed by manufacturers, so it must be followed. If you use "improvised" reagents, you need to pour them into the system and turn on the pump for 15 minutes every 4 hours. The procedure must be carried out for several days, after which the coolant is drained and the system is flushed several times. Dry cleaning is quite risky and is used for ferrous metals.

Disperse washing is more gentle. A special reagent is introduced into the system, which acts exclusively on scale and debris, without interacting with the metal. Such flushing can be done for both metal and plastic pipes. The technology is quite simple and similar to chemical technology: a circulation pump is connected to the system, a reagent is introduced, which circulates through pipes and radiators, after which it is removed.

After such washing, the pipes are cleaned, and a protective hydrophobic film is formed on their walls - the “plastic pipe effect”, due to which salts do not settle on the surface.

Hydropneumatic flushing consists in breaking up the contamination with the help of a special flushing unit. It delivers fine jets of water and compressed air into the system at high pressure, which flush out rust, scale and other deposits.

Pneumohydropulse washing can be performed using a special impulse device or a pneumatic gun. The system is affected by multiple pulses that remove impurities. Thus, spot cleaning of water pipes and radiators is ensured. Used for Ø 150 mm, no more.

Electrohydropulse cleaning is also performed using a special unit. The cleaning process consists in the fact that an electrical impulse is applied to the heating system pipe through a coaxial cable. After that, an electric discharge is formed at the end of the cable, forming a powerful shock wave that acts on the scale, destroying it.

With such microexplosions, the pipes are not damaged or deformed. The main blow falls on pollution. At the end of cleaning, all debris must be washed out of the system with running water.

Doing such cleaning of the heating system is not just possible, but necessary! Such activities should be carried out regularly. Thanks to this, you can significantly increase the permeability of water and heat transfer, which will save you money. The key is to be careful and follow the rules. And to reduce the formation of scale in the pipes, you can install a special filter in front of the boiler, which will purify the water circulating in the system.

Video

How to carry out hydropneumatic flushing, see below:

Cleaning of the heating system filter should be carried out periodically, at least once a month during the heating season. How can dirt get into a closed system, you ask? Everything is very simple. The heating system needs periodic recharge, that is, we must add water to it to maintain a certain pressure in the system.

Along with new water, various contaminants can enter. The second source of pollution is the system itself. After all, the liquid in it constantly circulates thanks to the pump. Therefore, various particles can be washed out, for example, from the joints or during installation, they could get into pipes and debris. That is why the filter needs to be cleaned periodically.

How to clean the filter?

1. Shut off the water with valves in the place where the filter is installed.

2. We substitute the tray to drain the water and unscrew the filter plug with a key.

3. We take out the filter mesh and clean it with a brush. Then rinse under running water.

4. Insert the mesh back into the filter and tighten the plug with a wrench.

5. Open the previously closed valves.

Excessive pressure in the heating system, a sharp temperature jump - all this leads to the fact that steel elements, pipes rust ahead of time. Further, water is clogged, which negatively affects the performance of boilers and other heating systems. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, it is recommended to install a water purification filter in the heating system.

Water always contains impurities of foreign elements. If you do not install a special filter, these suspensions will penetrate into the heating equipment, spoil the condition of the pipes and the equipment itself. In addition, when the liquid in the boiler, the radiator heats up, a precipitate forms, settling like limescale.

Home heating equipment must include:

• coarse cleaning;
• "fine" filtration;
• magnetic cleaning structures (delay pipe chips, possible rust impurities).

Coarse filtration of heating equipment

The coarse filter allows you to effectively retain most of the large suspensions. It is necessary to study the scheme of the heating system in order to install it in several places at once.

Sump

Elementary design with a mesh catcher. The sump is installed on the main connection if we are talking about a central heating system. For schemas of the stand-alone type, things are a bit more complicated. The mud collector must be installed on special branches.

By location, this type of filter can be:

• horizontal;
• vertical.

By filter attachment method:

• flanged;
• threaded;
• welding.

The mudguard is made of brass or steel. The most popular are brass models. They are able to withstand temperatures up to 150 degrees. Steel models are characterized by similar indicators, however, they are prone to rapid corrosion.

The installation of the device must be carried out in the direction of movement of the main coolant, otherwise there will be strong resistance (by type - hydraulic). The sump mesh must be regularly cleaned of accumulated suspensions (the water is first turned off).

sump

A more “perfect” unit, designed for installation in a heating structure, allows you to forget about maintenance work for a long time. A mud filter with a built-in sump has a special flask located at the bottom. All foreign particles of dirt contained in the water sink to its bottom. The advantage of such a flask is that it is made of transparent, high-temperature-resistant plastic. A person has the ability to constantly visually control the degree of its filling.

Design Benefits

1. Visual control of the filter flask. When it is full, the tap installed in the lower part of the valve is turned on, the accumulated dirt is drained.
2. The percentage of air in the composition of water decreases, metal elements of heating equipment are not so susceptible to corrosion.
3. Easy installation, affordable price.

"Fine" cleaning of heating equipment

Owners of autonomous heating structures prefer fine filters. It can be in the form of a square, a cylinder. When choosing a design, it is taken into account that the material of manufacture can withstand high temperatures.

Important parameters for choosing equipment for home heating:

1. It is desirable that it be possible to attach the equipment to the wall. For a plastic pipeline, this is extremely convenient.
2. The material from which the equipment is made. The main water filter element (cassette) must be metal, since metal is the most resistant to high temperatures.
3. Attention is drawn to the maximum allowable pressure value for the selected model.

Important! If antifreeze is installed, it is strictly forbidden to install a fine filter. It is also not necessary if the coolant was processed during installation.

Magnetic filters for heating system

The unique performance properties of magnetic filters have made them popular for heating systems. The design is really very simple. These are two magnets (opposite poles), located "face" to each other. Once there, metal impurities will simply remain on the surface.

Varieties of designs of magnetic water filters:

1. Removable type. The design of two plates that are mounted directly on the heating pipe. The equipment is characterized by ease of installation, if necessary, it will not be difficult to replace replaceable elements.
2. Removable type. The design looks like an ordinary pipe made of special alloys (ferrimagnetic). This model is characterized by a large working resource. It should also be noted that the magnetic field performance is much better than that of the removable type equipment.

The cost of magnetic type filters varies, taking into account the capabilities of a particular model. The simplest design can easily be installed by the average buyer.

Often the question arises as to whether it is necessary to install all three types of filters for the heating system. For a stand-alone design, a sump will suffice. If we are talking about a central heating system, it is recommended to install all three types of water purification filters (the liquid in the water supply contains more various impurities).

Installation of cleaning equipment for home heating can be carried out independently. Now manufacturers in the box with the selected design must include instructions. If you strictly follow it, the equipment will work correctly.

The filter for the heating system plays an important role, whether it is central or autonomous heating. If you do not take care of the installation of the fluid purification structure, the pipes will quickly become clogged. As a result, the heating system will heat worse, an apartment or a private house will be “wrapped in cold”.