I gave DIY power flushing a shot last autumn—honestly, it's doable but not exactly a walk in the park. Thought I'd save some cash and rented one of those machines from the local tool hire place. Setup was straightforward enough, but once I got going... let's just say my kitchen looked like a scene from a plumbing horror movie for about half an hour. 😂
The tricky part was getting the pressure right—too low and nothing budged, too high and I risked blowing seals or joints. Took me a bit of trial and error to find that sweet spot. Plus, hooking it all up without leaks was a bit fiddly. Managed it eventually, and the radiators were definitely warmer afterward, but it took way longer than expected.
If you're patient (and okay with potential mess), DIY is manageable. But honestly, next time I might just bite the bullet and call someone in. Depends how much you value your weekend sanity, I guess...
Haha, your plumbing horror story brings back memories... I once tried replacing a radiator valve thinking it'd be a quick job—ended up flooding half the living room carpet before I got it under control. Did you have any unexpected issues with airlocks afterward?
Haha, radiator valves are sneaky like that... I've had my fair share of surprise soakings too. Did you bleed the radiators thoroughly afterward? Usually, airlocks pop up if there's still trapped air somewhere in the system. Sometimes it helps to start bleeding from the lowest radiator and work your way up—did you try that? Also, did you notice any weird noises from the boiler after the flood?
"Sometimes it helps to start bleeding from the lowest radiator and work your way up"
Yeah, that's usually my go-to method too. Also found that giving the boiler pressure a quick check afterward helps—mine tends to drop after bleeding, sneaky little detail that's easy to miss...
"mine tends to drop after bleeding, sneaky little detail that's easy to miss..."
Yeah, good shout on checking the pressure afterward—caught me out a few times too. Couple things I've noticed over the years:
- Starting from the lowest radiator usually works, but I've had a few stubborn systems where doing the opposite (top-down) actually cleared things faster. Weird, right?
- Also, anyone else find certain radiators just refuse to bleed properly unless you crank the heating up first? Had one property where the upstairs bedroom rad was always a nightmare until I figured that out.
- And speaking of sneaky details... ever had a tenant swear the heating's broken, only to find out they've accidentally turned off the radiator valves themselves? Happened more times than I'd like to admit...
Boilers and radiators—always something new to puzzle over. Keeps life interesting, I guess...
