If connecting to the system in place of the circulation pump, you can achieve the small amount of draining down required on a vented system by opening the ball valves on the Proflush flow and return to allow up to 35 Litres of system water to enter the Proflush Tank.  This should be sufficient to allow the F & E pipes to be disconnected and preferably temporarily joined together or bunged.

Yes it can, but the flow rates will be greatly reduced and so the flush may not achieve the same results as with a normal system.  You should connect to the system via the circulation pump connections and not via a radiator.  We recommend double dosing the chemical being used to break up as much of the magnetite as possible giving the Proflush a better chance of moving the solids around and out of the system.

This is not recommended because the pressure on the feed pipe may blow out the bung and cause the F & E tank to overflow.

These are OK, they will hold up to 4 Bar pressure which is more than adequate, always check seals and o ring for wear if used regularly.

Microbore systems are prone to this problem, usually caused by a plug of sludge or scale in the small bore pipe work leading to a radiator.  The use of an air compressor or dosing unit connected via the bleed hole can if suitable pressure is achieved, this will cause the slug of solid material to be dispelled along the piping to a wider orifice thus the Proflush can force it out to drain.  After switching off the Proflush and isolating the unit, close both valves on the problem radiator and pump up the air pressure to as high as safely can be achieved. Quickly open one radiator valve and the resultant airflow will usually shift the blockage.  Finally allow the full flow of the Proflush to run through the radiator with both valves open.

On a single pipe system, if build up of deposits is severe you may need to dose the system with double quantities of Prochem Scale Remover / Prochem Sludge Remover. By using the diverter valve more often, thus causing more turbulence in the pipework gives the Proflush unit a chance to move the debris in a reduced flow rate situation.

This is not usually a problem if all valves are set fully open, however when the valve sticks down or acts as a non return valve, then it is wise to remove the heads and or push the pins down a few times to make sure the valve is fully open.

There will be a lower flow rate through the radiators and to compensate for this we advise double dosing the amount of Prochem chemical being used.

It could be that the system in question is a gravity feed type hot water system and a non return valve lurks somewhere in the heating system.  If you can get to this valve either loop it out or dismantle it and remove the plunger so as not to prevent the flow of water in one direction.  If this can not be achieved you may have to swap over the flow and return pipes from the Proflush unit in order to allow the diverter valve to be put in the correct position for dumping, otherwise you will not be able to dump the contents to drain.

This can be done by disconnecting the cylinder or looping the pipe, so as not to blow the bubble in the tank.  Although there have been a large number of successful flushes with this type of system, we do not recommend it, a scenario of accidental contamination with black or rusty bath water caused by leaking pipes is not to be envied.

In short the answer is YES.  To prevent the problem it is advised that you cap off the cold feed and expansion pipes and insert a gate valve into the lower pipe entry point into hot water cylinder coil.

No, the centrifugal pump of the Proflush unit will only push what water it can through the system, any excess will be recirculated in the tank.  Maximum pressure is less than 2 bar.

A 12 radiator system is the norm, but if you isolate the extra radiators in order to keep the flow rate at it’s highest point, then larger system can be accommodated.  On a 30 radiator system for example we recommend that you close off 20 radiators, do the first ten then close these off and open the next ten and so on.

There are two clear parts to the Powerflushing operation, the first being the cleaning process, which when using a Norstrom Proflush involves running the boiler at no more than 80oC for around 1 ½ hours when the chemicals will be doing there cleaning.  After this time the boiler is shut down and the second half of the operation is carried out.  Flushing Out the system radiators on an individual basis before finally the entire system is purged with clean water until tests show that the system water is as clean as the mains water supply.

No, you can add inhibitor to the tank of the Proflush unit after the system has been cleaned and tested.  It is advised that if using this method you circulate the liquid around the system for 20 minutes in order to get full penetration.  Also put in an extra quantity of inhibitor to allow for the extra water which will be used to top up the header tank after being reconnected to the system.

This will depend on whether or not any problems like seized joints etc are encountered, but in the normal situation you would expect to complete a flush on a ten radiator system in 4 to 5 hours.

Under normal circumstances if the level of water in the Proflush tank is kept above the midway point, air will not enter via the pump.  However you should always vent the system after Powerflushing is completed and the system returned to normal.

Apart from washing out with clean water after every use (this is usually achieved within the flushing process) there is no maintenance required.  During cold weather make sure that all water is dispelled from the flow and return pipes, otherwise if left overnight in a garage in freezing conditions this could cause the ball valves to split, requiring replacement.

Yes, although the pump will run all day without harm, it is not wise to leave any electrically powered equipment switched on without supervision in a domestic environment.  Also the water level in the tank should be maintained at all times to avoid ingress of air or indeed overflowing.

As with any tool, respect and care will result in a long and trouble free lifespan, always secure your machine in the vehicle whilst in transit and do not drop onto the castors.