Carrying out power flushing can help maximise the efficiency and operating lifetime of both your heating system and your boiler. Once a power flush has been carried out, the results can be noticed immediately. It can improve all round performance and running costs. 

What is power flushing?

Power flushing is the most effective way to clean out your entire central heating system. By pumping a mix of water and chemicals throughout pipes, radiators, heating cylinder and boiler, it removes built up debris, sludge and scale. Which over time can hinder the performance of your heating system.

Benefits of Power Flushing

There are numerous benefits to carrying out a power flush on your heating system. It can increase the operational lifespan of your boiler. Households that get power flushing done can see an increase of their boiler lifespan by up to 10 years. By keeping the internal system free from contaminants and buildup of rust and sludge, your boiler and radiators will be be able to run more efficiently for much longer. Keeping your heating system clean reduces the financial burden of having to replace your boiler.

A boiler that isn’t working to it’s maximum efficiency can result in higher running costs due to wastage in fuel consumption. Boilers that have not been properly flushed contain a buildup of residue and contaminants. This buildup restricts the flow of water and as a result reduces the the transfer of heat to your radiators.

In some cases, your boiler’s warranty may be void if it malfunctions due to contaminants.

Signs You Need A Power Flush

1. Cold Radiators
2. Little or No Hot Water
3. Pump or Valve Seizure & Failure
4. Sludge & Scale
5. Boiler Failure

• Cold spots on radiators – A common sign your heating system may need a power flush is if your radiators are cold at the bottom, but hot at the top. This could be an indication that there is a build up of iron oxide sludge. This iron oxide builds up over years and restricts the flow of hot water. As it is heavier than water, it deposits at the base of the radiator, resulting in heat transferring to the top.
• Little or no hot water – Iron oxide deposits can also block your heating system’s pipework. This excess sludge builds up over time and block both the pipes and heat exchanger, resulting in very little hot water being produced.
• Pump or valve seizure and/or failure – Black iron oxide can hinder the performance of your heating system’s pump and valves. Built up over time, this sludge causes wear and tear and the main shaft and bearings. If this is left, it can cause the pump to completely seizing up or failing. If the valves seize up it can result heat not being transferred to your radiators efficiently.
• Sludge and scale build up – Black oxide sludge can build up over time, especially in areas of the heating system that are unprotected. This can result in further corrosion, which will eventually be catastrophic to the heating system. Iron oxide can also harden into a scale on hot surfaces of the heating system. This can result in poor boiler performance and less heat being transferred. This symptom is not usually visible, but one sign this is occurring is that your boiler becomes louder or starts making a slight knocking noises when turned on.
• Total boiler failure – This excessive build up, if left untreated, can cause over heating. If this occurs continuously it can result in a total breakdown and failure of your boiler and heating system. If this occurs as a result of iron oxide sludge build up, it can in many cases, result in your warranty being void.

How often does my heating system need to be power flushed?

If you service your boiler on an annual basis as well as regular servicing, you should only need to flush out your system every five years. If you are fitting a new boiler it is always goof idea carry out a power flush before installation. This will greatly improve performance and prevent future issues.

If you would like to book one of our engineers for a power flush, or you are simply wondering if your system needs it, give us a call today.