Flushing ( cleaning) water supply heating systems - why is this necessary. All pipeline systems will sooner or later become clogged. various types sediments. In many cases, when operating a pipeline system, cleaning ( flushing) and disinfection of heating and water supply networks is carried out only in connection with problems that arise during operation. This approach usually leads to problems that cannot be solved. simple methods. arise severe blockages, traffic jams form in the system and, worst of all, expensive equipment breaks down. As a result, we have to resort to drastic measures. Repairs, replacement of pipeline sections, replacement of equipment - all this is labor-intensive and very expensive. It is much more correct and profitable to build an operation system in such a way that the deadlines for routine and preventive maintenance are fully observed. This will allow you to avoid unplanned situations and, most importantly, breakdowns of your network. An integral part of routine maintenance for heat supply (water supply) networks is the flushing of supply systems. Timely flushing of supply systems will allow you to:
- Improve system performance;
- Reduce energy costs;
- Eliminate emergency situations during operation;
- Increase the service life of the system.
Employees of the GLOBAL-ENGINEERING company are ready to rinse and remove scale and deposits from any pipeline system (heating, refrigeration, hot water supply and hot water supply).
The list of services we provide includes: :
Flushing ( cleaning) heating systems
Flushing ( cleaning) water supply systems
Flushing ( cleaning) air conditioning systems
Flushing ( cleaning) pipes pipelines
Flushing ( cleaning) radiators, batteries
Flushing ( cleaning) heat exchange equipment
Pressure testing of heating and water supply systems
There are two types of flushing of supply systems:
Chemical washing ( cleaning
The system is filled with a reagent (special cleaning liquid). Using special equipment, the reagent circulates through the system. During circulation, the reagent allows you to remove scale and deposits formed in the system. The selection of the reagent should be carried out by specialists based on the results of the analyzes performed. After flushing, the reagent is removed from the system and the system is further flushed. After flushing, the system is filled with coolant and pressure testing is performed.
Hydropneumatic ( hydrodynamic) flushing ( cleaning) heating systems, water supply
Flushing ( cleaning) heating and water supply systems are produced using a special compressor unit. With this flushing method, the deposits are exposed to water under high pressure. The high pressure compressor creates pulses that act on scale and deposits. Using this method, you can flush the system without using chemicals. When using professional washing equipment and strictly following the technology, the possibility of damage to system components is completely eliminated. Before washing using this method, all calculations should be carried out by experienced specialists. Others mechanical methods may lead to breakdown or failure of the system. Our company has an extensive list of special equipment for flushing systems. GLOBAL-ENGINEERING LLC is ready to provide services for high-quality flushing of heating and water supply systems using the hydrodynamic method. Hydrodynamic flushing is one of the highly effective ways cleaning engineering systems.
It is also possible to use a combined method of flushing the system, when during hydropneumatic flushing a chemical solution is used as a working fluid.
We offer comprehensive maintenance of the heating and water supply systems of your home or business. The list of work performed includes:
Chemical washing ( cleaning
Hydropneumatic flushing ( cleaning) heating systems, water supply of the house
Flushing and pressure testing of the heating system and water supply of the house
Flushing ( cleaning) pipelines (external, internal) heating systems, water supply of the house
Home heating and water supply system repair
Repair of pipelines (external, internal) of the heating system, water supply of the house
Flushing and pressure testing of the heating system cost (price)
The price of flushing (cleaning) the heating system and water supply of the house plays an important role. Our specialists are ready to advise you and offer best option carrying out work that will allow minimum costs achieve better results.
Flushing pipeline system: who to trust ?
You can try to put the system in order yourself, but the consequences can be disastrous. At wrong choice flushing composition (reagent), it will destroy solder joints and ruin seals. Hydropneumatic ( hydrodynamic) cleaning the system without special equipment and skills can damage the equipment and components. This will lead to the need to replace expensive components or parts of the system.
Our company has many years of experience in the provision of various services such as heating flushing and water supply flushing. All work is carried out in compliance with all rules and recommendations of regulatory and technical documentation in this industry. If you need to flush the refrigeration supply or flush the system for any other purpose, before putting it into operation or after an emergency, contact our employees for help, and they will do everything that is necessary as quickly and professionally as possible.
Contact LLC GLOBAL-ENGINEERING . The result of our work is always the same – high efficiency and uninterrupted operation of the equipment.
For a service request
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Most people who use central power grids live in houses built more than thirty years ago, and the pipes in these buildings are the same age. For long term may accumulate in heating lines huge amount scale and various deposits. To remove and clean them, there is hydropneumatic flushing of the heating system - a method that allows you to restore its former qualities without replacing old equipment.
As the name suggests, this process involves cleaning the heating system with water under pneumatic (air) pressure. To implement this, a compressor is installed in the area being washed, which is connected to the inlet pipe and supplies air to it. When exposed to a fast flowing stream, scale and various deposits, formed on inside heating circuit, begin to fall off and are removed from the system. Hydropneumatic and hydraulic flushing is carried out until the water becomes clear.
Experts say that clogging of pipes due to the formation of scale or deposits of calcium and magnesium salts 1 mm thick leads to a reduction in heat transfer by 15%. What can we say about thirty-year-old structures, the level of contamination of which can reach 50%.
Flushing is carried out when:
- There are clear signs of pipeline clogging.
- The boiler “makes” unusual sounds.
- The system takes too long to warm up.
- Heating elements heat up unevenly.
- Pipes are hot when the radiator is cold.
- Significantly increased energy consumption under the same external conditions.
- A new boiler is being installed on the old system.
- Flushing is planned before the heating season.
- The first run is necessary to remove tow, shavings, soldering flux, sand, emulsions and fats.
What you need to know before cleaning
Flushing internal systems heating hydropneumatic method must be carried out with the preliminary implementation of the following measures:
Work order
The technology for flushing a pipeline using the hydropneumatic method consists of the following steps:
- If the length of the lines is short (for example, in a private house), then it is necessary to insert two pipes into the incoming and outgoing heating channels. The first one is installed check valve, the second will serve to drain water.
- If the length is large, additional equipment is required circulation pumps, which will increase the speed of fluid movement when the compressor is insufficiently powerful.
- The supercharger is connected and the heating pipes are cleaned using hydropneumatic flushing. The process continues until water flows from the outlet pipe. clean water.
- Upon completion of work, it is advisable to carry out crimp testing of the connecting elements.
Eliminate interruptions in the heating system multi-storey buildings problems associated with clogged pipes and batteries, hydropneumatic flushing will help. It is necessary to carry it out if you often hear extraneous noise from the batteries, or if they are heated unevenly.
What is hydropneumatic flushing?
Among existing methods cleansing heating system it is used most often. The principle of such flushing is to pump compressed air under pressure into the heating system, which is completely filled with coolant. At the same time, a pulp is formed inside the pipes and batteries, which is a bubbling compound between water and air, which is pumped into the pipes by pushes. Such a pulsed effect on the walls leads to the destruction of deposits and scale. Which, after cleaning, are eliminated through drain holes into the sewer.The impulsiveness and strength of the thrusts is adjustable, so it can be changed step by step. The process continues until clean water appears from the drain. After this, the system must be pressure tested, which is necessary to check the system for leaks. Sometimes there are cases that after washing, a leak forms in places where there was scale. Previously, such through holes were simply blocked by deposits.
The scheme for such washing is shown in the diagram:
According to the standards in apartment buildings washing is carried out once a year mandatory. Owners of private houses clean pipes only if the radiators become noticeably worse. It is not advisable to carry it out for prevention, since you need to pay for calling the appropriate energy supply services.
Types of hydropneumatic flushing
There are two types of hydropneumatic flushing.First method
The flow method assumes that the system will be completely filled with water:- The air intake valve is in the open position.
- After maximum filling of the heating pipeline, the valve is closed, while the compressor previously connected to the system pumps compressed air.
- The liquid together with it, acting on the walls of the pipes, cleans them.
- The entire contents of the pipes are discharged through the outlet pipe.
Second method
The filling method is similar to that described above, but with it the sequence of actions is slightly different:- Water is supplied through one pipe, and the valve on it closes.
- Compressed air begins to be supplied through another pipe. It lasts about a quarter of an hour, and for slightly dirty pipes in a small system it may take only five minutes.
- The valve on the pipe through which the air is supplied closes, and the second one on the drain pipe opens, and water with impurities is removed through it.
Instructions for hydropneumatic flushing
It should be carried out regularly on individual risers or their groups. Before starting work, it is necessary to decide in which risers it will be done this time in order to install shut-off equipment at their ends.The course of action is as follows:
- Remove the nozzles and diaphragms from the hydraulic elevator, if there is one in the system.
- Discharge the circuit into the sewer to drain the contaminated water.
- Conduct a thermal imaging examination of the internal surfaces of radiators, if special equipment is available.
- Block thermal valve located on the return pipe.
- Fill the system with water to remove air from it, with the air collector valve open. As soon as the system is full, the valve closes.
- Connect the compressor to the metering valve, open the discharge on the “return”.
- Open the valve when the pressure on the compressor reaches 0.6 MPa;
- Close the risers and wash them one by one. Continue flushing until purified water comes out of the hose.
- Switch the heating circuit from supply to return. Rinse all risers in the opposite direction.
After completing the flushing process, the system should be filled with water, since its pipes cannot be kept empty.
Washing equipment
It is selected depending on chemical composition water in the pipes, which is the coolant, the degree of contamination of the pipes and batteries. Main installation During such flushing, the compressor comes out.
There are several of its models, the most popular are:
- Station CILLIT–BOY. This modern device With electronically controlled. The cost of purchasing it can soon pay off, since such a unit can be used not only for flushing heating, but also for cleaning drinking water from bacteria, as well as maintenance of the “warm floor” system. When used for heating, compressed air and water are uniformly supplied. Its washing power is enough not only to clean pipes and batteries, but also to remove scale from the inside of the heating boiler, which extends its service life and increases the heating level.
- Rockal. This compact compressor is mainly used for cleaning copper and steel pipes. It can clean systems with a capacity of no more than 300 liters. It supports constant pressure 1 bar, and its productivity, despite its small dimensions, reaches 40 liters per minute.
- Ropuls. Powerful device, which is used not only for flushing the heating system, but also for purifying water flowing through pipes into the house. It can be used for cleaning “warm floors” and cleaning solar collectors from silt deposits. When drinking water is purified with such a device, not only rust and debris are removed from it, but also bacteria.
- Romantic 20. It is suitable for removing scale from heating pipes. It provides automatic regulation pulse interval. The pressure height reaches 10 meters, the pressure is 1.5 bar, and the performance is the same as in the Rokal installation. It can be used for systems whose volume does not exceed 300 liters.
- the color screen displays an image at a viewing angle of 36 degrees;
- there is a focusing ring on the lens of the device;
- The shooting frequency reaches 9 Hz.
Video: How does hydropneumatic flushing work?
To evaluate the difference between hydropneumatic flushing and chemical flushing, we suggest watching the following video:Any heating system requires regular cleaning. The hydropneumatic flushing method is the most popular today. This is explained by the fact that after it the heating system almost completely restores its throughput, which leads to maximum economical use energy resources.
Flushing the heating system is necessary preventative measure. And it doesn’t have to be done by professionals. Knowing the rules and methods, you can do everything yourself. If carried out regularly, the system works at full power without any problems. For prevention, simple and gentle regimens that do not cause negative influence on the state of system elements. If the radiators are not washed regularly, you will have to use chemical additives, which, of course, will remove all deposits. But after such treatment, leaks often appear or the corrosion process is activated.
Why does the heating system clog?
Heating systems are divided into centralized and individual. They are different in size and operating conditions. From here - different problems, different frequency of processing.
Centralized systems
Most in need of cleaning centralized systems: their length and large number equipment contribute to the accumulation of various small and not very particles. These are particles of rust, scale, sand, precipitated salts, etc. etc. All these particles are carried by the coolant flow. Once in an area with a relatively low speed of movement - into the supply pipe, and then into the radiator - they settle, gradually clogging both pipes and radiators.
Mostly steel pipes are clogged: they inner surface rough initially. Over the years, it becomes even more heterogeneous: rust particles fall off, additional irregularities form. This is where the clogging begins. In metal-plastic, galvanized pipes, the inner surface is smooth. So deposits in them are very rare: with flat surface they are carried away by the coolant.
The second “victim” is radiators. Here two groups are at greatest risk: those with very narrow and very wide coolant channels. In narrow channels, the speed of water movement is higher, but if sediment forms here, it becomes clogged very quickly. Narrow collectors in, as well as in some models and.
Very wide channels are available only in cast iron batteries. The coolant flows into them at low speed, which is why suspended particles settle down and remain in the sections. A large gap is not so easy to clog, but if prevention is not done, this will happen sooner or later.
Overgrowing of pipes and radiators leads to a decrease in heat transfer, and the room becomes colder. It is by this sign that you can determine the need to flush the system or a separate radiator.
Individual heating
In individual heating, the problem is not so acute: its volume is small and there are few components. In addition, if, then after some time after pouring water (if it is used), everything that can binds and settles, leaving only clean water. If you use water of normal quality, softened, without salts, then such a system will be clean in a few years. A different picture is observed if you use water from a river or well: even after a year there will be a lot of precipitation.
In individual heating operating on low temperatures( , ), another problem may arise: legionella bacteria. They actively multiply if the temperature does not exceed 40-60 o C. When colonized by these bacteria, the system is constantly aired. When air is released, it has a strong hydrogen sulfide odor. It is difficult to fight these bacteria, and living with such a strong “smelling” heating is not comfortable and dangerous. Legionella becomes airborne and can cause an illness similar to pneumonia (Legionnaires' disease). In this case, a complete and thorough flushing of the system using disinfectants, as well as running it at elevated temperatures.
Types of heating system cleaning
There are several different types of system flushes using products of varying intensity.
Hydraulic cleaning
This complicated name can be deciphered as follows: flush the heating system running water. This method is more often used in individual systems. The procedure is as follows:
If the system is not connected to the water supply, you can use a pump or pump to supply water. This is a gentle, but nevertheless effective flushing of all system elements, including the boiler. But if a large amount of solid sediment has formed, it will not help. More effective measures will be needed.
Hydropneumatic treatment
It is carried out according to plan in centralized networks, but can be successfully used in individual ones. However, here you cannot do without additional equipment: air is added to the water flow. You can use a car compressor to flush the heating system at home.
When carrying out hydropneumatic cleaning, air is supplied to the central heating system not evenly, but intermittently. Then a pulsation is formed, which breaks up even stubborn deposits. This method is more effective, but also more dangerous: the air shocks are water hammer, and sometimes they disable some of the weakest parts of the system. On the other hand, it is better to discover all weak points before the start of the heating season: this will give you time to eliminate them in a calm environment.
The video below demonstrates a method for flushing a heating system using the hydropneumatic impact method.
Chemical
Chemically poured into the system active substances. They are different:
- whey,
- vinegar,
- caustic soda,
- acids (phosphoric, orthophosphoric, etc.),
- special compounds.
How the system is processed depends on the tools used. If these are special formulations, the entire procedure is described on the packaging. This sequence is developed by the manufacturer and must be followed.
When using “homemade” reagents, you can proceed as follows: once every 3-4 hours, turn on the pumps for 10-15 minutes. This needs to be done for a long time: several days. Then drain everything and flush the system a couple of times.
Dry cleaning is a very risky undertaking - the weakest elements can leak. Although, the same principle applies here: it is better to identify them out of season.
Frequency of flushing the heating system
According to SNiP, flushing the system is required annually. But purges are carried out different types. Conventional hydraulic is carried out annually, with the addition of air - once every 2-3 years, and chemical - as needed, but not more often than once every 5-7 years.
It is difficult to say to what extent operating organizations adhere to such recommendations. But in individual systems, no one bothers to flush the heating system every two to three years. There is no need for annual treatment here. After the end of the season, you can drain a certain amount of coolant to assess its condition. If there are no “odors” or precipitation, the time to flush the heating has not yet come.
How to clean the battery
But cleaning the entire system is not always necessary. Often the pipes are clean, but only the radiators are clogged. How to determine this? When should you flush the radiator? By temperature:
- the riser and supply pipes are hot, and the radiator is barely warm, most likely it is clogged;
- some sections or parts of the heating device do not heat;
- up normal temperature, and the bottom remains cold.
All this indicates the need to clean the radiator.
Wash the batteries after the end of the heating season. If, during installation, the supply and return are supplied, and with single-pipe wiring there is also a bypass, then this can be done in heating season: by closing the taps the radiator can be removed. The system will continue to operate if there is a bypass.
Remove the batteries, twist all the fittings. Take it to a place where there is a source of water. If you are washing a radiator in an apartment, it can be a bathroom, but only if it is cast iron (throw a lot of old rags at the bottom so as not to damage the enamel). In private homes, washing is done outside by holding a hose with water to the spot. Often they are washed only with water: pouring it into different collectors. With a sufficiently strong jet, even stubborn deposits are washed away.
If it is not possible to organize a stream of water, close all but one of the collectors with plugs (buy at the market or in a store). Fill water inside and screw on the last manifold. Now you crush and turn the battery over.
It’s not easy to turn over cast iron, and you won’t be able to be a coward. But you can knock: with a mallet or a wooden hammer. If there are still a lot of deposits and they are not washed out with water, you can try some chemicals. Its walls are thick, so they are unlikely to be damaged.
They clean with serum or caustic, some use “Mole” type sewer cleaners. But “Mole” is a potent substance and you need to be careful with it. After filling in the product, periodically turn the battery over and tap it. After a day or two (or several hours, depending on what you filled), unscrew the cap and drain all the contents. Here you will need to think: where. Perhaps into a bucket or trough, and then into the sewer, but there are many options. Having poured out all the contents, rinse thoroughly with water: if anything remains from chemicals, corrosion is activated. After this treatment, the inside should be clean.
Install the radiator in place and check: turn on the system for a while with high blood pressure. This is the so-called pressure testing of the system. In the system individual heating it’s not difficult: open the feed tap and fill the system, monitor the pressure on the pressure gauge. As soon as it exceeds the operating value by 1.5 times, shut off the coolant flow. After leaving the system in this state for some time, you check its strength. After 24 hours, drain part of the coolant, bringing the pressure to normal.
To check a separate radiator in an apartment, a pressure testing device is used. It is not necessary to buy such a unit: you can rent it. They are manual type, they work simply: water is poured into the container, using hand pump is pumped inside, and it (the pump) creates excess pressure (displayed on the pressure gauge). Knowing working pressure in your system, you create a check value 20% higher. If it doesn’t leak anywhere, we can assume that everything went well.
This is a lengthy and difficult procedure, and washing cast iron radiator, is also physically difficult. However, keeping the system clean is key economical heating: the heat transfer of such a system is higher.
What and how to flush heating radiators
It's about dry cleaning. Can be used different means. From the experience of “users” there are the following options:
- pour in whey for a day, turn occasionally;
- fill the pack regular soda, pour boiling water, several treatments help with most precipitation;
- too, but with caustic soda- works better;
- pour a solution for cleaning a car radiator, add boiling water, drain after a few hours;
There is one point in all these methods: it can corrode the gaskets. Then you will have to. So I advise many to rinse thoroughly with water, or, in extreme cases, with air - using a car compressor.
Results
Flushing the heating system and cleaning radiators - necessary event. If you do this regularly, emergency measures may not be necessary: water and air will be enough.
One day in the spring, a strange noise is suddenly heard in the radiators of high-rise apartments - this is the start of hydropneumatic flushing of the heating system, or bubbling. Owners of private houses should carry out the same procedure if they do not want to freeze in winter. The “vessels and capillaries” of the heating system must be cleaned regularly.
Why do you need to flush your heating system?
The water that flows through the heating pipes is far from distilled. What it doesn't have:
- mechanical impurities: rust, sand, scale and other dirt;
- chemical impurities: metal salts, especially calcium and magnesium;
- microbubbles of dissolved air and other gases.
Coupled with temperatures up to 100°C and high pressure, all this forms a “hellish” mixture. Leaks around the clock chemical reactions, the main result of which is the formation of scale, corrosion of heat exchangers and communications.
The water entering the system must not only be filtered from mechanical impurities, but also brought to the required chemical and physical characteristics, that is, meet the standards for water treatment in thermal systems.
Important: corrosion in the heating system occurs for several reasons. Two main ones:
- Micro air bubbles: they contain more oxygen than free air - up to 35% (oxygen corrosion).
- Increased acidity of water - pH< 7 (кислотная коррозия).
Therefore, during water treatment, water deaeration and increasing the pH value to 8.0-9.5 are important.
If measures are not taken in a timely manner:
- the heat transfer of the system is noticeably reduced;
- energy consumption increases;
- The walls of the pipes and boiler become thinner and destroyed, and leaks form in various elements of the pipeline.
There are several ways to remove harmful deposits. Of these, hydropneumatic flushing of the heating system is the most radical and effective. It is used both in private and multi-storey buildings.
What is hydropneumatic flushing?
The essence of the method is that compressed air is supplied under high pressure into a system filled with water. A seething water-air mixture (pulp) is formed, which loosens the scale deposits and carries them through the drain into the sewer. For greater cleaning efficiency, air from the compressor is supplied in pulses and jolts. The pulsation of such water-air “blows” is adjustable and can be changed step by step. Flushing continues until the water at the outlet of the circuit becomes clear. After completing the work, it is necessary to check the system for leaks - carry out a pressure test, because after removing scale, leaks may occur in some pipeline connections.
For apartment buildings frequency of hydropneumatic flushing of systems central heating determined for 1 year (SNiP 3.05.01-85). In private homes autonomous systems heating systems should be flushed only if there is a real need for it. That is, heat transfer has noticeably deteriorated, energy consumption has increased, and cold areas are easily detected on heat exchangers. You can flush the system purely for preventive reasons, but it is not cheap (if you order it from a specialized company).
How is hydropneumatic flushing carried out?
The sequence of actions, or instructions for hydropneumatic flushing of the heating system, is as follows:
- Flushing is carried out continuously, that is, in individual risers or groups of risers. Therefore, before starting work, groups of risers and the sequence of washing each of them are determined.
- Installed if necessary shut-off valves between these groups of risers.
- If the system has a hydraulic elevator, its nozzles and diaphragms are removed.
- The circuit is started to drain into the sewer from the supply to the return. On return pipeline the house valve is closed.
- The pipelines are filled with water to remove air, the air intake valve is open. After filling the system, the valve is closed.
- The compressor is connected to the metering valve on the supply side, and a discharge on the return side is opened.
- The valve opens when the pressure reaches 0.6 MPa in the ballast tank of the device.
- Groups of risers are blocked and washed one by one. The duration of washing is until the water is completely clarified.
- After flushing all risers, the heating circuit switches to draining from supply to return. All groups of risers are washed again, now in the opposite direction of the flow of the water-air mixture.
- Upon completion of work, the heating system is immediately filled with water; it is not permissible to keep it empty.
Important: after hydraulic flushing of the heating system, pressure testing must be carried out - hydraulic tests pipelines. Pressure testing of heating points and heating systems is carried out separately.
Typical scheme permanent hydropneumatic flushing
If you hire a contractor
If you order hydropneumatic flushing of heating systems from a service company, then specialists must first determine the scope and cost of the work. In this case:
- Calculations are made of the length of the flushed pipelines, the upcoming air and water consumption. The cost of the work is determined.
- A schedule of events is drawn up.
- A service contract is concluded.
- Equipment is being imported and preparatory work, then hydropneumatic flushing and pressure testing.
- A washing and testing report is drawn up intra-house system heating. A technical guarantee is provided.
There is less work in a private house than in an apartment building, so the cost of cleaning is significantly lower. At the same time, working in the private sector can be quite complex due to the specific design features thermal systems.
Spot pneumatic pulse cleaning
What if you don’t need to flush the entire heating circuit, but only the radiators? This is a common situation because water flows slowly in the radiator and scale forms faster. Here, for example, is what a clogged radiator looks like during a thermal imaging inspection.
Clogged radiator on the thermal imager display
One of the options hydraulic flushing heating systems – pneumatic pulse cleaning. It is performed using special tool- air gun. The principle of operation is a hydraulic ram: a pistol shot generates a shock wave in the water, which spreads at a speed of 1500 m/s over a distance of up to 60 meters. In this way, even those deposits that cannot be removed by standard hydropneumatic washing are removed.
Is it possible to independently hydropneumatically flush the heating system in a private home? It is possible, but for this you will have to purchase or rent expensive equipment. And, of course, the owner must understand the intricacies of this procedure. It is easier and more reliable to contact specialists and conclude an agreement for warranty and post-warranty service.
Video: flushing heating radiators