Few notes: I forgot to do the cold flush through the magnacleanse and therfore fluished a load of black gunge into the garden, which we only saw when we'd finished! *_LEARN PLUMBING ONLINE IN MY STRUCTURED COURSE_* 🚀 Perfect for DIYers, future apprentices and those who want to perfect their plumbing skills and get a good base of knowledge. Starts in March👉 www.learnplumbingonline.com 🛠 *_AMAZON TOOL STORE:_* www.amazon.co.uk/shop/plumberparts 🥾 *_10% Off my workboots + workwear Use Plumberparts10:_* elwoodworkwear.co.uk/?ref=Plumberparts10 👓 *_10% Off Safestyle Sunglasses Use PLUMBER10:_* safestyle.com.au/?ref=PLUMBER10

@CommercialGasEngineerVideos

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the helpful and convenient links. Good idea to put them there. These days, if a system isn't blocked I'm shocked

@42RHD

3 ай бұрын

I couldn't find the thermometer/heat camera thing you used in that video on your Amazon links. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but that looks like the business.

@dantevxv1501

3 ай бұрын

Scouring sponges with white rather than green rough are for non stick pans, special so they dont scratch the non stick coating.

What i learnt from this video is to not leave a plumber alone with a pen or pencil. They will draw on anything 😀

@aserta

3 ай бұрын

I restored a 1924 house with indoor heating, cast iron everywhere and copper piping. When we took the radiators off their mounts, we found the plumber master's drawing for his apprentices. Full sketch, complete with calculations and numbers, all in that nice writing that everyone used to have.

@livedandletdie

3 ай бұрын

This applies to all, handymen, not just plumbers. Carpenters, Painters, Electricians, Plumbers, etc.

@jaybands11

3 ай бұрын

honestly the truth or we talking to ourselfs never leave us alone 😂

@INFLICTEDPAIN213

3 ай бұрын

​@@livedandletdieyou'd be surprised what some painters will put on your wall before painting over it

@TheChipmunk2008

3 ай бұрын

@@INFLICTEDPAIN213 again, sparky... painters hate people who use sharpies instead of a pencil,. right?

Speaking as someone who had furred up CH pipes, the easiest check to do is put a magnet against the copper pipe, if it sticks you’ve got a problem. Easier than chopping the pipes out to look👍

@drcl7429

4 ай бұрын

Good tip.

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Good tip!

@jayseabie215

4 ай бұрын

Houston we have a problem. 👍

@garystuart226

4 ай бұрын

Plus 1 as was also taught that many years ago when I was a heating engineer apprentice some 30+ years ago , indeed those small tips really help , if the boiler had a high limit would combine the cold feed and vent , really made the world of difference cutting out a H system of airseps, or if the system was ok would pressurise it , normally doing 1/2 bar per floor , also done the same with back boilers after fitting the high limit kit, another thing I couldn’t get my head round for ages was the wring , then all of a sudden one day it clicked , blimey it made a huge difference when fault finding , alas had to stop working due to a severe back injury , all the heavy lifting caught up a and ended up with plates , screws in my back, really miss the industry , another reason I really enjoy watching these videos , blimey I’m waffling again, lol, thks again, stay safe and well

@blackadder1966

4 ай бұрын

Great tip, but I've seen a lot of old systems with cast iron radiators.

17:23 love that he uses the analogy of the arteries, and the doctors uses the analogy of the pipes in your heating system 🤣😂🤣😂

@davidelliott5843

3 ай бұрын

Even a small amount of scale (or cholesterol) can have a serious effect. A 15mm tube will flow 16x as much as a 7.5mm tube.

@livedandletdie

3 ай бұрын

@@davidelliott5843 The only difference is that Cholesterol is good for you, for as long as the bloodsugar levels aren't too high. Scale however is never good.

@ducky_y_

3 ай бұрын

Most certainly not in your arteries.@@livedandletdie

I’m a plumber and I have a rule to myself that I can’t watch other plumbers on KZread, it’s just too painful 😰 BUT I can watch you, your good, very good my mate! Keep up the great work

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Haha! Cheers man! 🙏

@snake21ab

3 ай бұрын

is too good

“Nice bit of copper pipe Max” I love these bit, cracks me up 🤣🤣🤣

@RossReedstrom

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, he goes into his "Artful Dodger" voice, for sure!

Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. My son is a newly qualified plumber out there experimenting on peoples’ houses and even though I don’t understand what you do we watch your videos and both learn and laugh along. Wish I’d had teachers like you at school. Really great. Thank you. 😊 Richard, Oxfordshire.

This channel is one of those hidden gems that are so helpful

Having moved out of plumbing a couple of years ago, I still love your videos mate and I’d rather watch these longer videos than anything on Netflix!

trades like to give each other a hard time, but as a spark it's fun to see a person who knows their trade, working stuff out... warms the cockles of my electrical heart :)

Nice to see a real tradesman who knows what he’s doing for a change! Loved watching the video! 👍😁

Been plumbing for 50 years, love James videos, what is there not to like about the guy, he's still teaching me a trick or two😊

For the towel rad, for adding cleaner, a mamometer hose through the top bung and siphon it you can empty the rad really quick and painlessly

@adriancross4

4 ай бұрын

wet vac works a treat

@willbradbury3698

4 ай бұрын

Knew i couldn’t have been the only one to do it this way!

@connoraxelson1

3 ай бұрын

Hahaha, the day I thought hang on couldn't I just do that, I was like why have I never thought to do this before 😂

@neeleshparbat952

3 ай бұрын

Or siphon out the magnaclean?

Watching this has given me the balls to upgrade my CH to a pressurized system. Why the previous owners didn't do it when they had the HW changed to an unvented cylinder I don't know.

I think you'll make an awesome dad mate just relax and enjoy every minute brother

Nice video delivered with a smile from you and your customer. Wish all customers would watch this and see the effort and time it takes just to explain the fix to them..

We need a white board on the van back door for teaching diagrams. It’s a lot to learn all this plumbing stuff . 👍

Great video. Sure it will help many when they have heating problems.

I experienced the same thing with a heating system in Alaska. We used a pump, tubing, a plastic tank, and acid to clean the system and flush built-up scale that was inhibiting the system. We neutralized it once finished. Running the boiler over 130 degrees was the cause of the buildup.

Really well explained James . Even though it’s not an issue I have ..(at the moment anyway ), just find your videos incredible addictive 😁… funny , witty and hopefully I’m learning something. How you keep calm with water everywhere and smoke alarms going off , take my hat 🎩 off to you 😁😁😁

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Cheers man. If you like this you’ll love the online course!

Really enjoy these fault finding on the job videos. Brilliant 👍

Another superb video James,I use to hate messy pipe work,especially in airing cupboards.

Great video. You're extremely knowledgeable and a great explainer

As someone who knows close to nothing about plumbing... this channel is GOLD!

Thoroughly enjoyed the video. As a Canadian, it baffles my mind seeing radiator heating. Only old houses still have them. We use forced air heating (natural gas) and sometimes baseboard electric heaters for an older house that had an expansion that didn't use ducting work.

@testtest8399

3 ай бұрын

I all of those options have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm surprised you are baffled by radiators of all things.

@MarkJones-gt2qd

2 ай бұрын

Forced air boilers are very expensive to buy or maintain in Blighty. We had one... took out all the ducting, vents, and painful maintenance, put in radiators, no real problem since. Boiler is twenty years old though, not sure how long it's going to keep going. One issue with air is dust, or particles. Probably modern systems have posh filters, but old ones will kill your asthmatics off the first day, especially in spring.

great, clear explanations.... enjoyed the video cheers

Super skills thank you for sharing

wow, awesome work and I bet the homeowner is well happy

Cheers James, really helpful vid mate. Good luck with the new baby!

My heating had the same issue, older house new combo boiler old radiators, ended up running Fernox F8 for 3 days, flushed the system, replaced 8 radiators as they were original and the cause of the rust and sludge, replaced pipe work and fittings and changed the boiler heat plate. Works perfectly now. All about prevention and honest heating engineers like this 👍🏻 cracking video.

Top tip, quicker way to drain your towel rad, bleed vent out, manometer hose in, siphon out. Great work figuring that head scratcher out!

Inspiration. Thank you for your videos - comical ones too - that turn a subject into so simple that I can understand. Thank you again and keep up the videos/good work you do. We need more of you. x

My favourite place to dose a system is a nice towel radiator like you used, but I've found it easier to siphon the water out from the top using a length of narrow hose. It's really clean and controllable that way.

Cracking video. Should be compulsive viewing for apprentices just starting out ( and some old hands 😂) was honestly shocked at the build up in those pipes 😂

Great Video. Really enjoyed watching that one.

Good stuff! Thanks!

why do plumbers use rough multigrip pliers on chrome hex nits! even in NZ! damages the nuts if you find they are tight

excellent video , thanks

Can't beat a good problem system video. Thanks James.

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

No worries broooooo!

Excellent video 👏👏

Wow! ❤ Thank you for this fantastic video 👏 I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt loads! Ta 🙏

Brilliant video as always but also brilliant timing as I did the same system clean and the3 same procedure to a combi pressurised system and was wandering how to do it to an S vented system. Thanks a mill mate

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Nice one!

@fattoamanowoodwork3638

4 ай бұрын

@@plumberparts I still need to figure out in details what to do despite you give me a great start. I need to research or figure out fully the plumbing of the expansion vessel. Loft part pretty clear obviously. Anyhow, thanks man

some awesome soldering job, man Also, the video editing just keeps improving, it is great.

Great video James

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Cheers bro!

Nice Work.

This was a great video. Informative and jokes too😂 James cracks me up. So random but a proper likeable fella

Nice one James 👍

Brilliant stuff!

Very good! Those DIY break in taps are horrendous things, but you've found a good use for them! Open vent header tanks should be barred, they are a terrible time bomb with all the issues compounded - blockages causing pumping over the top, air constantly being introduced an so on. Great video.

Great video, some great tips,

A really informative video. It showed very clearly why sorting a system can cost so much money because finding the problems takes time and experience. People often only judge a job on the time taken. I too hate working on tanks in a loft - because the loft hatch is so small and always dreading putting a foot through the ceiling!! Paste? no comment!! (never use)

Would love to have seen the clear tube as you were agitating the rad. Something to think about next agitation! Great video. Cheers lads

drawing on the walls walking around in old muddy work boots on the carpet what a piece of work this guy is

Fantastic video as always , indeed useto hate the H systems or airseps, would either combine the cold feed and vent or pressurise the system if there was a high limit stat , plus of course dependant of age of the system , thks again for sharing , useto be a heating engineer for 30+ years and really miss it, that’s another reason I enjoy watching ur videos so much , thks and have a great week, keep safe and well

Really interesting video. I’ve just done very similar to my sealed system. I bought a magnacleanse filter and left in connected with 2 bottles of MC5 running round it for 6 days. Everyday I agitated a few of the downstairs rads then on the last day whacked the boiler flow rate up to 80 for 2 hours while again agitating the rads. Dumped it all and refilled with clean water. Ran system for half an hour then dumped and refilled again with 2 bottles MC1 inhibitor. System so much better but not perfect. I’m making my own thoroughflush gizmo to mains water flush with the ability to reverse the flow rapidly. Might make a video if it works. FYI, I’m not a heating engineer or plumber.

Great videos mate, very informative and explained in a way that is easy to understand! I have one question… when talking about TRV’s you said they work off room temperature but I’ve always been led to believe they monitor the water temperature and that’s why it’s essential they go on the flow side of the rad to work effectively, am I wrong or are there different types? Thanks again for the tutorials 👌🏻

nice documentation of your work. I learned a lot again. My plumber always tries to explain me everything, but he draws on a piece of paper. 🤣 Man I hope I do not have this sludge thingie in my pipes 😉 Over here we never use tap water inside the heating system: always distilled/soft water. My plumber has a special device/cartridge for cleaning the tap water, if he needs more than a few liter. Usually houses here do not have an automatic refill system and heating systems are not connected to fresh water directly. I nearly need no refill (in a pressurized system), the yearly plumber inspection was sufficient. If I wanted a refill system, I would buy a system with a softener for the tap water, still operated manually after checking pressure. With only infloor heating and no radiators, I hope to not have a lof of rusting potential in the system. Cheers from Berlin

Nice one James!

Another quality video sir!

You r definitely a MASTER PLUMBER no doubt about that 😊😊😊

That seems like a big ask for such a tiny boiler, all other issues aside. My first thought was circulation of course. I'm impressed the boiler ever got up to 70 normally.

First time finding your videos. I'm a Yank, and I think your presentation is AWESOME!! GREAT PERSONALITY! - GREAT PRODUCTION! ❤

Top man, and I must say a very good plumber and a very knowledgeable plumber⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏🍺🍺🍺🍺🇬🇧

As a diy'er I understood all of that, great explanation. Cheers!

Can't understand why anyone would want to cover up there radiator with those Rad covers, take them away and let the heat into the room. Good Video.

Always great watching your videos, I tend to stick wet vac over some copper pipe and it siphons towel radiator far quicker to add treatment (time is money) 😂

Another great video 📹 👏🏼 👍🏽

I once had the same issue and put a second circulation pump in as a test. Works perfectly now

Has it come to this! that woke me up :D the singing plumber eh :)

37:44 AAV - for me that thing decided to leak, actually leaked quite a bit. I only knew cause I was in the place the boiler lives looking for something else. Dripping into a bucket . Any longer the leak would have told me via the ceiling from downstairs. At first I had never heard of a AAV. Wow it’s amazing once you’re fully vested in finding out about and what something is and does, for me I became a nerd about AAV and wanted to tell everyone I knew something about plumbing (well just a AAV.) it’s actually a clever bit of kit and genius really once you know why it’s there and for- anyways I don’t shy away from stuff easily I’ll give it ago, what’s the worst that can happen stuff is already broke, i will gain experience and potentially fix it. (Eventually I tell the misses only take 10mins - like heck did it) so …guess what I have a jaguar boiler my. AAV was part of the pump jobywhatsit - and it’s a glow worm jaguar that is old - I know this cause parts for this beast is like rocking horse s**t! (MORE on this in a bit) so the AAV I removed the lid part with all the float bit all attached (looks a similar make to the one in the video) I just cleaned it . Replaced and tested. It leaked. I repeated the same again , nicked the kids toothbrush and cleaned with limescale cleaner . Which was what was blocking the tiny brass valve that looks like a bike valve. It was full of crud. Replace and tested. It worked and for costed me only a new toothbrush. I was potentially looking down the barrel of a new boiler, just cause parts of few and far between. But you and other you tubers are my new education on anything to do with day to day running of the home. You tube helped me so many times , keep the videos up! They are gurt mint. So the jaguar boiler so far fixed when possible - diverted valve rubber diagram thingy, circuit board main computer bit. Gas valve (eBay ) also did need a proper gas safe dude for that bit. I don’t have mag thing on mine, suggestions what would be best for my jag? (I do have space for it) make /model/ spec? Cheers ears !

Fascinating. American here, who is not a plumber. I don't think I've ever seen gravity feed systems here in the US. I've only ever seen pressurized hydronic systems. You also see lots of steam systems here as well.

@MrPaulpph

4 ай бұрын

steam systems?! in housing? pls show me an example 😮

@tookitogo

3 ай бұрын

@@MrPaulpphThe first apartment I ever rented had steam heating. It used baseboard radiators that would get scorching hot, controlled by wall-mounted thermostats. From looking at it, one could easily have assumed it was electric, but the baseboards had very hot pipes connected to them instead of electrical conduit. (Well, that and that I knew it was steam because they said it was. The apartment complex used a central steam plant for all of the buildings.)

@MrPaulpph

3 ай бұрын

@@tookitogo Hilarious, thanks for the insight. I only know them from ships, but even there you'll have condenser heat exchangers for a separate HVAC-heating system.

@tookitogo

3 ай бұрын

@@MrPaulpph Why is it funny to you? I think they’re fairly common for large buildings or complexes built before forced-air systems became common (which only happened once air conditioning started to come down in price in the 1950s and 60s). It’s not something you’d find in a single family home, where hydronic systems are dominant (for non-forced-air systems). One big advantage is that the radiators for steam systems are much, much smaller, and probably cheaper (they’re basically built like car engine radiators, with lots of thin fins).

@MrPaulpph

3 ай бұрын

@@tookitogo I just could not imagine this being in use for normal buildings w/o specialised personnel operating it. I know quite a bit about steam systems but where I am from this is pretty much purely for industrial use since >100 years.

Love a bit of boss white / PTFE paste on the fibre washer. Used to get asked all the time white i used ptfe and boss white on rad fittings. over the 6 years i was plumbing never had an issue with a single rad.

Excellent job. The only downside is that now your gas bill goes through the roof. My bill went up by removing air from the radiators.In theory the air takes up space so now your boiler is heating up a larger amount of water!

@garethswaffs

3 ай бұрын

Better the gas bill than paying for electric rads!

Congratulations and good luck with your new baby

Thanks

Working with a gentleman like this is what used to make the building industry such a lot of fun back in the day, when you all learnt from each other and really wanted to do the best job possible for people. To coin a David Brentism "Having a laugh...while getting the work done". At one time everyone was concerned about doing their job as well as possible like this - there's too many under qualified people trying to make a killing for half a day's work, pack up get out, and never want to come back to sort out hiccups. The man is a veritable encyclopaedia of useful hints and tips and really takes a pride in doing things correctly. As far as leaving valves and labels for the next person to come along - The world can't say thank you enough. Anyone who thinks fitting nice expensive isolating valves and drain offs (under a radiator, in a lounge with white carpets - trolls) all over the place are a waste of money - never had the fun of crawling around in a mountain of dirty fibreglass looking for the inevitable seized up ancient stopcocks just to change a couple of taps, or turn off a cheap Ballofix, only to find it starts to leak - gawd bless you guvnor' ! I hope you enjoy being a dad as much as you enjoy your work. These are the sort of videos that make YT worth watching.

I did alot of cable install for tv here in canada, i have seen many different styles of water heaters and in various locations, one time i went to a couples house and we got onto the topic of places ive been too being cooler then it should be for the time of year vs ac useage. Guy showed me the tank he had in a closet just like this, he put a screen door on the door hinges.. he said it warmed the place up tremendously.

I always paste up the fibre washers, so fully on your side for that matey, I find it doesn’t let the fibre washer stick to the metal when it’s been there for a while

@stuartandrews4344

4 ай бұрын

Very old trick,taught that nearly 50 years ago by a old plumber.

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Cheers mang!

that is so cool you guys have towel warmers

I'm from Florida so I've had no experience with whole house radiators. Really interesting video. I wonder how much that big gravity fed tub in the attic effected the humidity levels

I used a thermal store in my house. Boiler heated water in the cylinder with its own pump. Heating (with separate pump) circulated hot water to the radiators. A high performance coil in top of cylinder provided hot water at mains pressure. It just worked and the thermal store cylinder halved the gas bills. Only snag was balancing some radiators. The valves would whistle. I fitted in line ball valves to restrict flow rate. No more whistles.

33:38 onwards absolute gold, cracked me up!

Great video. Did you balance the hot water tank ?

Brilliant video as a young plumber this has helped me massively. Whats that tool that goes in the drill to clean pipe?

@Hellsong89

3 ай бұрын

If you mean the agitator tool, you camn take hammer drill bit, weld a round bar in, turn the end to snuffle fit into bearing, turn plate with holder for the bearing and then make silicone etc surface for it. Bra stuffing or what ever you can find should work too.. Works even if hammer drill does not have jackhammer only option. If it does then you dont need bearing for that.

Good vid- given you “lightly pressurized” the system what did you reduce the pre charge pressure to?

I would say one thing about the UK you guys definitely have a crazy hodgepodge of systems in this house when it just comes the heating.

@plumberparts

3 ай бұрын

You’re not wrong Brad! 😂

THIS is the kind of plumber-information I like! I LEARNED stuff I had no clue about, that might actually explain why the ONLY room in my apartment that has heat, is the Livingroom where we have two computers running 18hours a day ;) The bedroom is f'in FREEZING even though the radiator actually has temperature, but it's not even close to 37-40°C EVEN when it's well bellow -20C outside! I'm guessing there's a TON of gunk and stuff in the radiators in the bedroom as well as the kitchen :/ The ppl who lived here before me apparently hated airflow too, so they hade glued and taped ALL the ventilation shut, and had been "adjusting" the bolts n' stuff on all the radiators so half of the brass is just fully rounded xD They had to DRILL 4 of the radiator bolts in the bedroom to do something about it, but it only got worse in the end :P Awesome work with that house! Wish I didn't live in Sweden under a sheit-blocker of a landlord who HATES to do anything at all to fix stuff ;) They wait for us to move - renovate the apartments and increases the rent with 35-50% instead :P

Great video possibly an opportunity for stopcore 2 installations ve used them on 3 properties based upon your video. Definitely works as a lot less if any rusting

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Great to hear! Good point too.

Phos acid works wonders cleaning out CH scale. Relatively cheap stuff for 80% strength. Doesnt really hurt copper, only point of concern is weak radiators that are really rusty.

How do u know which size pressure vessel to use as there's many different sizes? Love ur channel & ur passion 🤩

I remember the video you made about the auto air vent you changed on a Friday! You said it was one of the biggest floods you’ve had nice to see you put valves in for the ones you installed 😂

@MuckSpreader99

3 ай бұрын

Only needs a bit of crud to stop the inner valve working and a broken heat expired plastic cap to cause a leak. Get ones with a metal venting cap. Mind you. if isolation valves are fitted, no problem...

Non return on filling loop supposed to go on mains water side, would also be easier to drain and pump expansion tank if you’d put normal isolation on that expansion manifold.

About the jointing compound - I do it all the time, can't see anything wrong in it. Also use ptfe tape and other habits that will probably send me to plumber's purgatory! But then, I cannot remember the last time I had any leeks - years ago! 🤞🤞 Brilliant videos. Thank you.👏👏👏

@clooperman3745

3 ай бұрын

The Welsh have leeks, plumbers have leaks !

@tookitogo

3 ай бұрын

Leeks are delicious, you should give them a try again! :p

Great vid

37:47 we use vents with an automatic close valve, when you remove the automatic vent. Flamco has some good ones. 1/2” size with 3/8 vent.

@plumberparts

4 ай бұрын

Nah mate! I’ve had the Flamco ones fail and flooded an office once - NEVER AGAIN! 😂😂

@pedrosmits

4 ай бұрын

@@plumberparts lol, never had that happened to me. But other companies make the same kind of stuff. BTW, like you flooded the toilet last week 🤣. Hope you feel better now, great video. 👍. We never install without a magnet filter, especially when the systems containing a fine mashed heat exchanger.

@Lizzard-t

4 ай бұрын

Had flamco AAV Brand new out of box.lasted 2 weeks then it decided it didn't want to be a AAV anymore. Rubbish!

Sold. Great content

@plumberparts

3 ай бұрын

Cheers!

As a retired heating engineer,my boiler (which is a viessman compact, which I seal the system 8 years.) It seems to had magnetite baked in. So I power flushed it with Fernox ds40 on day 1 then on day 2 with sentinel x800. I wanted to make sure that it was verturualy sterilize it. I don't want to touch it again.

Joint compound acts as a lubricant so the gaskets and compression fittings can get nice and comfy and allows the connection to be tighter. As a former fire sprinkler fitter I approve 👌

When adding inhibitor or cleaner into towel rad I use a wet hoover and a short length of hose pipe. Just feed the hose it into the top and push down to bottom of rad and rad drained in a few secs. Fill up with fluid and put the plug back in, voila.

Entertaining as all get out. Bravo Zulu!