Sediment in radiant loop Non barrier tubing

spj

Have a sun-room with what appears to be non-barrier tubing. Call was for insufficient heat, started with purging of the loop Has 110 fill-trol  (plugged the relief valve and back feed from the pump tank) nothing but very brown water and sediment. I feel there is alot of tubing connected and not from a manifold system, tied in on main supply which I counted 3 lateral runs with common return.  My question is, has anyone try to high pressure jet the loop followed up with chemical. System is about 11 years in service, Taco 007 pump impeller had alot of brown sediment which I had to scrape off.



Thank you very much for any input !

Mark Eatherton

High pressure and plastic tubing...

If you have flow, and can start with a low pressure and gradually increase it you should be OK. In any case, I would have the HO sign a liability release on the condition of the tube before and after treatment. If there are any weak spots there, high pressure hydrostatic conditions will find them...



Also recommend back flushing first. The "crud" will lay in the direction of flow. Back flushing breaks off all the points, and allows for great forward and backwards flow.



Whose tubing, and are there any ferrous (rustable) materials in the system?



ME

hot_rod

line pressure

from the city or well supply should be plenty if you can isolate the loops from the boiler 30lb relief. As long as the crud hasn't plugged solid or hardened. PEX tube should handle 100 psi or more.



Hard to know what chemical until you define what the sludge is. Rhomar cleaners work great on most problems.



Hard water scale, lime, etc, maybe from taking on fill water may need more of an acid cleaner like DHW boilers and instantanous flushes.



I've used Hercules Sizzle on hard water scaled boilers.



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