Most homeowners will consider their heating system as out of sight, out of mind, right up until the moment it stops working as it should. For that reason, they often fail to recognise the warning signs that something is not right, often months ahead of a full breakdown. What are those signs that heating engineers should be educating their customers about? 

Five signs of a contaminated system

1. Higher than usual energy bills – Air and dirt in a system both force the boiler to work harder in order to heat the home to the desired temperature. That means that the property’s gas consumption will be much higher and consequently energy bill will also rise
2. Noisy pipes – Many will probably have experienced the moment when, as they sat down to watch TV, all of a sudden, a banging sound comes from the pipework. Not only can this be incredibly annoying, it is also a sign that there is trapped air and dirt travelling around the system
3. Radiators that don’t heat up fully – Cold spots on a radiator can be caused by both air and dirt, and the location of the cold spot will often indicate which of the two is causing the issue. Cold spots at the bottom are most commonly the result of a build-up of dirt in the radiators, caused by sludge and magnetite travelling around the pipes and collecting in this area. Alternatively, cold spots near the top usually indicate trapped air within the system, which has gathered in the radiator. Any type of cold spot on the radiator will be an annoyance to a homeowner who will likely struggle getting the room heated to the desired temperature 
4. Needing to bleed radiators frequently – The need to frequently bleed a radiator is a sign of trapped air within the system. It is important for homeowners to recognise that bleeding the radiator is only a temporary solution to resolve the issued caused by the presence of air and will only help for a short time, before the issues reoccur
5. Boiler is prone to breakdowns – When dirt has travelled around the system, it will eventually find its way back into the boiler via the return, and these particles can cause significant damage to crucial components, such as the heat plate exchanger. A faulty boiler is likely what will have resulted in the initial callout for a heating engineers. As well as being highly inconvenient, it can also be costly for the homeowner to rectify depending on whether a repair or a replacement is required.  

How to treat these issues

Flushing will only remove a certain amount of dirt and debris, without preventing future accumulations, while using a magnetic filter can leave behind non-magnetic debris, such as copper filings and flux.

This is where dirt separators, such as the SpiroTrap MB3, for example, are useful. A reduction in flow velocity facilitated by the Spirotube, together with a laminar ‘no-flow zone’ and external magnet, ensures that any magnetite caused by corrosion, along with non-magnetite particles, settle downwards and are stored in a separation chamber at the bottom of the unit. Using the drain valve, the installer can periodically remove the dirt particles to maintain a clean system.

For even greater protection and to treat trapped air, a deaerator, such as the SpiroVent RV2, for instance, should also be installed. By removing microbubbles of air from the water before it travels around the heating system, installers can reduce the possibility of corrosion of the pipework. 

To help heating engineers educate their customers about the impact of air and dirt in a heating system, Spirotech’s Better Heating toolkit includes an online symptom checker that outlines the signs to look for, and provides guidance about the solutions available. 

After all, the cost of installing a deaerator and dirt separator will be far less than having to fix parts within the boiler or replacing it altogether, so it is better to take steps early to mitigate the risk.