How Power Flushing Can Get Your Radiators Hot Again

What is a Power flush?

A Power Flush is a process to remove sludge, rust & other contaminants from your central heating system.

If these contaminants are left untreated in your central heating system, it will make your system inefficient, cause boiler breakdowns and in some cases, a new boiler may be required. Sludge in your central heating system can cause blockages, preventing heat from circulating which causes 'cold spots'.

A power flush is when a machine is connected to your central heating system and pumped around the system at high velocity. A cleaner is added in to the system to help remove the contaminants. Each radiator should be treated individually to ensure the best results.

The way we do this is, we shut off every radiator on the system except the one we are working on. The machine is now only working on one radiator, we agitate the radiator, with a rubber mallet or an agitator. Once this is done, we switch the flow of water going in to the radiator. This whole process takes around 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the radiator & the state of the system.

WATCH THIS VIDEO A SEE HOW WE CAN GET YOUR RADIATORS HOT AGAIN

How do I know I need a Power Flush? The tell tale signs you may need a power flush are:

Cold spots on radiators - mainly at the bottom
Loud/Banging noise from the boiler or central heating pump
Heating is slow to warm up
Radiators are cold but pipes are hot
Boiler is over heating - boiler constantly needs re-setting
Some radiators are not as hot as others
Black water comes out when you bleed a radiator
If any of these problems sound familiar, you need to get it looked at by a heating professional. A powerflush may cure your heating problems and get your radiators hot again,  unfortunately if the damage may already have been done and a new boiler may be required as well.

Benefits of having a Powerflush
Don't worry its not all doom & gloom, below is a list of benefits of having a power flush carried out:

Radiators will heat up quicker
More efficient system - Cheaper energy bills
Radiators will get hotter
Quieter Boiler/Radiators
Increase life span of boiler/central heating system
Less chance of your boiler breaking down
Can I carry out my own powerflush?
In a word, No

While you can hire a powerflush machine, I would NOT advise carrying out a powerflush yourself. While it may look easy on videos on youtube, it is a job that should be left to the professionals.

We have been highly trained in how to carry out a powerflush. Carrying out a powerflush yourself could lead to more problems than you had before, so you are better off leaving it to the professionals.

Will a magnetic filter do the same job as a powerflush?
Put simply, No.

A magnetic filter should be fitted after a powerflush has been carried out, if there is not one on the central heating system currently. The filter will then protect the system from future sludge build up. The filter should be cleaned annually. We usually do this as part of a boiler service. It is also important to keep the system dosed up with inhibitor. Again, this can be added during the boiler service when cleaning the magnetic filter.

How much does a powerflush cost?
The cost will vary from £450 + vat to £660 + vat . An average system of 10 radiators will normally be around £400-£500, plus a magnetic filter if there is no one currently on the system. This typically adds around £250 on to the powerflush job.

You can book your powerflush directly online or call the team on 01253 422343