Is power flushing a good idea? Find out how power flushing works and how it can benefit your central heating.

What happens during a full power flush, and how long does it take?

Step One:

Your gas safe registered engineer will set up their equipment and then will begin flushing the system in all directions, which could take up to 90 minutes, tackling troublesome or hard-to-reach sections until they are immaculate.

Then, your engineer will work strictly on your heavily contaminated radiators separately; some utilise what's known as an agitator, which is a hard pad attached to a hammer action drill, and this can release challenging build-ups of debris and sludge. 

Step Two:

Once they've cleared away the sludge from the system, your qualified engineer can add a chemical neutraliser throughout your system to restore the natural chemicals that help the system and clear out any that negatively impact it.

Next, your engineer or trusted traders will check on the PH balance of your system to ensure that the chemical flush hasn't made it too acidic, as this can be detrimental and lead to internal corrosion. Excess acid will need to be removed or flushed out. 

Step Three:

Finally, your gas safe engineer will then pour in some inhibitor fluid to your boiler or central heating system; it can prevent long-term sludgy build-up and corrosion. Ultimately, the duration of your powerflush service will vary depending on your system's initial condition and size, as much larger or damaged boilers or heating systems can take a day to recover. 

When does my central heating system need to be power flushed?

There are a few circumstances where your installed boiler and central heating system can benefit from a professional power flush. The symptoms that signal you need such engineering service include the following:

• If you have cold radiators with a hot strip at the top, cold spots or if only a few of your radiators get hot, not the entire system.
• If you notice any discoloured water or sludgy black water lingering inside your old central heating systems during radiator removal or as a product of failed twin entry valves or heating pump replacement.
• If your system that was once highly efficient now has bad circulation, this is your system showing signs that you may need a power flush.
• Use a magnet and attempt to attach it to copper pipework; if it attaches to the copper or magnetic filter, this is a sign of iron sludge which engineers can combat with power flushing techniques.
• If you have an overflowing attic header tank, which may also be due to your boiler's pump seal being set at the wrong speed. 

Your boiler engineer can carry out visual and chemical checks, which indicate the PH balance and levels of corrosive elements in the system. 

Do I Need A Gas Safe Registered Engineer?

A gas engineer does not necessarily know anything about power flushing; they specialise in gas work, and the power flushing process has nothing to do with gas.

Is power flushing always the solution to central-heating problems?

Unfortunately, you cannot use power flushing machines to solve all central heating problems, especially if your boiler has faulty components or broken parts. However, power flushing can be used to enhance and improve your system's efficiency, ensuring it runs effectively for lower energy bills.

Yet, it does not have the power to mend broken valves caused by more sludge or debris, as it requires a more manual, hands-on fix. On the other hand, power flushing cannot fix pressure loss, as this often indicates your system has a leak which can sometimes occur in your boiler from inefficient use or running. Power flushing is used most effectively when regularly carried out on a new system.

You must avoid utilising this method on older boilers and systems, those older than 15 years, as this will be ineffective or potentially damage it further. It's far more cost effective, in this circumstance, to replace your boilers with brand-new boiler installation, pipework and radiators instead of attempting to improve your failing system. 

Will power flushing remove all the sludge in my central heating system?

The answer is no. Powerflushing can remove a prominent quantity of sludge and debris lingering in your central heating system; however, it cannot remove it all. Suppose you possess a particularly old boiler system or it is heavily silted up with waste, then, unfortunately, power flushing isn't powerful enough to provide a remedy for your issue.

For those with gas combi boilers on their property, we recommend contacting a local engineer to take off your system's hot water heat exchangers and flush them on both sides separately to rid build-up limescale before placing it back onto the combination boiler. Suppose you possess any other type of boiler that requires the assistance of microbore systems, hot water cylinders or cold water tanks.

In that case, you must request the help of a qualified central heating engineer as your tanks need flushing. 

Is Power Flushing A Good Idea?

Power flushing is the process that uses high flow rates to move any blockages in the pipes so they can be filtered out and properly cleaned. When replacing parts within the system, it is recommended to power flush the pipes so that blockages are removed and prolong the life of the new parts.

Power flushing can remove debris and a large percentage of sludge/rust, but not all of it; unfortunately, removing all the sludge from older systems is impossible. Power flushing has limits and does not work on badly sludged systems.

Power flushing is not the same as connecting a hosepipe to your drain-off point and letting the water run until it is clean. This method only cleans one path through the system and not the whole system - at best, this is only 20% effective compared to the new power flush machines, chemicals and magnets.

So How Do You Know If A System Needs A Power Flush?

If you think you have sludge blocking your radiators that could lead to leaks, get an engineer to have a look. The engineer will connect a machine to your system if you need a power flush, pushing a powerful, low-pressure liquid flow through your system. The high-pressure flow of liquid dislodges sludge and rust, pushing it out and removing it from the radiators and boiler.

It can take several hours to flush out your radiator system. It can take even longer if you have a more extensive system or a sludge build-up. After the power flush, your central heating system will contain fresh, clean water. The engineer will probably add an inhibitor solution. This liquid chemical will stop sludge from building up again.

Why Is There Sludge In The Radiator?

The older your central heating system is, the more likely you have sludge in your radiators. Blocked radiators raise your bills, as your heating has to work harder to warm your home. Sludge can also damage your boiler, heat circulation pump and valves.

Radiator sludge is a mix of dirt, dirty water and rust, which builds up over time and gathers at the bottom of your radiators. Sludge stops hot water from flowing through your system, creating cold areas on your radiator, areas unaffected by the sludge and warm up as normal, causing patchy heating.

UK Building Regulations

The Compliance Guide to Part L of the UK Building Regulations for England and Wales requires deep cleaning and flushing of the central heating system before adding a corrosion and scale inhibitor chemical.

It's also prudent to do this when a new boiler replaces an old central heating boiler. Many boiler manufacturers now make the warranty dependent on flushing and cleaning under BS7593 and Part L.

If you require power flushing services in Southampton and the surrounding areas, contact our specialist heating engineer today. Follow the link to find power flushing near you.