The efficiency of cast iron heating radiators and the reduction in their heat transfer depends on many factors, including the cleanliness of the internal cavities. The high temperature of the coolant contributes to the accumulation of scale on the walls of the sections. Periodic draining and refilling can cause radiators to dry out, which leads to corrosion. Particles of scale, rust, and other mechanical impurities that get inside due to poor water filtration mix with the coolant and clog the batteries and pipes. As a result, the quality of heating decreases and fuel consumption increases.
Periodically washing cast iron batteries with your own hands helps to cope with this problem. You can really do this work yourself, without resorting to the help of any companies. You should prepare for cleaning and follow the sequence.
Signs by which you can understand that it is time to clean your heating appliances:
- Uneven heating of the radiator. At normal pressure and temperature in the network, without airing, the top of the battery is hot and the bottom is cold. Or vice versa. And also with hot supply pipes, the radiators are barely warm.
- The heating system takes longer to warm up than usual.
- A clear symptom of the presence of large contaminants in the battery is an increase in energy consumption.
Signs that it's time to clean your batteries
There are five signs that indicate a clogged battery:
- Some radiators are less warm than others. If you notice that one battery is colder than all the others, this is the first sign that the coolant channels are definitely dirty.
- The battery is not as hot as the riser. Another sign indicating problems with the system.
- Your neighbors are warm, but your apartment barely warms up. If it is cold in your home, this is not always due to poor functioning of the heating network. Quite often the cause of this is clogged batteries.
- The radiators below are cold. Uneven heating of the batteries indicates clogged channels.
- Sections in the radiator warm up differently. Since it is not possible to clean cast iron batteries inside individual sections, they will need to be completely cleaned.
Cleaning correctly is important!
Dust repellents only help when used correctly. First of all, you need to learn how to clean consistently.
How to wipe off dust correctly?
- You should move from top to bottom. First you need to wipe the chandeliers, baguettes, cabinets, and then the furniture and floor. If you do the opposite, dust from the upper tiers will fall down and cover already processed objects.
- You need to use a slightly damp cloth - this will collect dust most effectively. If you wipe it with a wet cloth, streaks will remain; if you use a dry cloth, dust particles will scatter throughout the room.
- Before wet cleaning, dry cleaning is carried out. You must first sweep the floor, vacuum the carpets and furniture. Then there will be fewer suspended particles in the air, and surfaces can be wiped clean.
Why do batteries get clogged?
As a rule, in a centralized heating system, due attention is not paid to the quality of the coolant poured into the pipes - the water contains many impurities. In addition, the pipes themselves inevitably rust from the inside, and a lot of rust accumulates especially if they are many years old. The movement of water inside the circuit occurs under high pressure, which leads to pieces of rust breaking off from the surface of the pipes and settling on the walls of the heating radiators.
As a result of various debris, rust and impurities from the coolant getting inside the batteries, the channels become clogged. This leads to a decrease in the amount of coolant circulating inside the radiator and a decrease in heating efficiency. Moreover, even the optimal temperature regime of the coolant will not provide high-quality heating of the room.
Algorithm for proper cleaning
Cleaning begins with putting things in their places. Items that are not regularly used are put away in cabinets, pantries, and shelves. Before removing or packing, dust must be removed from things:
- wipe;
- wash;
- vacuum;
- knock out.
To avoid mold, shoes, clothes, carpets, and soft toys should be dried, preferably in the sun. After tidying up the interior, you need to vacuum the floors so that dust does not rise into the air during cleaning.
Anti-dust treatment begins with textiles:
- curtains;
- curtains;
- bed linen;
- upholstered furniture;
- toys.
They are washed or treated with a steam generator.
Carpets and rugs are washed with foam and dirt is removed with a vacuum cleaner. The cleaning procedure can be carried out outdoors. It is easier to remove dust from dried products.
The next stage of cleaning is the most inconvenient. Need to wipe:
- corners and space between walls behind the refrigerator, cabinets, washing machine;
- ceiling;
- cornices;
- the top of the cabinets.
Whitewashed ceilings are brushed or vacuumed. Dust from the walls can be brushed off with a broom, sockets and switches are wiped, ventilation grilles are washed.
Then washed:
- doors (indoor and outdoor);
- pens;
- windows and window sills;
- chandeliers, sconces, table lamps;
- air conditioning filters;
- air conditioner;
- hood;
- mirrors;
- body of a refrigerator, washing machine.
Wipe clean using polishes or surface sprays:
- shelves (internal and external);
- furniture doors, walls;
- computer monitors;
- TV screens.
Leaves of indoor flowers are cleaned of dust. Give moisture-loving plants a shower. Before the final cleaning procedure, dirt is removed from under the beds. They vacuum again. The filters of the device are washed/replaced. All parts and surfaces of the vacuum cleaner are wiped. Wet cleaning is done throughout the entire room.
Options for flushing and cleaning cast iron radiators
Depending on the scale, washing of cast iron batteries can be individual or centralized. The first case is only possible if it is a private house or apartment with an autonomous heating system. Before you clean cast iron batteries at home, you will have to completely dismantle them and then put them back in place. It is worth noting that this method is the cheapest.
If we are talking about a centralized heating system, then it is only possible in apartment buildings. In this case, before washing cast iron heating radiators, it is not necessary to remove the heating devices. However, this method is somewhat more expensive than the previous one and requires prior agreement with all residents. In general, flushing the heating system in an apartment building is quite difficult.
Causes of contamination of heating devices
There are several reasons that determine the need to flush heating radiators:
- uneven heating of the heat exchanger - the lower part is cold and the upper part is hot or vice versa;
- reduction in the rate of heating of the radiator compared to previous heating seasons;
- the heating main is hot, while the radiators themselves are cold;
- increase in energy consumption at a constant coolant temperature.
Currently, apartment and house owners prefer bimetallic and cast iron radiators. Bimetal, compared to other materials, is the most inexpensive, but quite effective. Cast iron is more of a tribute to tradition, although such radiators today are designed in different styles, which is why it becomes almost an independent element of the interior.
Method for performing centralized battery cleaning
To clean cast iron batteries properly, you will have to contact a utility service or a special construction company. In this case, the hydropneumatic method is used for flushing. At the same time, water is supplied to the riser under strong pressure. Compressors operating intermittently supply air to the system, which is mixed with water. The air-saturated liquid is fed into the system, where microbubbles hit the walls of the batteries and break off microparticles of debris and dirt. Thus, blockages are gradually washed out of the batteries and channels.
Although this method is considered quite effective, it requires some preparation. However, before washing cast iron batteries, they will not need to be dismantled. However, some owners prefer not to waste time and effort on coordinating with neighbors and ordering services from the utility service, but simply remove the radiator and clean it themselves.
Prepare everything you need
Ideally, it would be good to wipe the batteries with a damp cloth every week, but there is not always time for this. If you haven't done this for a long time, you'll have to do a more thorough cleaning.
Take note
