What is a Power Flush?
A power flush helps clean out your central heating system by pumping cleaning chemicals and high amounts of forced water through it. It’s a great way to improve the quality and longevity of your central heating – but how do you know if you need the procedure done? Let’s explore the issues that suggest you might need one, and how a power flush will help fix them.
What are the signs I might need it?
A power flush is needed when high amounts of sludge builds up in your central heating system, and there are a few signs this is the case. For example, your radiators might leak or require constant bleeding. When they’re bled, if the water is black and sludgy or discoloured this indicates there’s an issue. As well as this, you should to see check if your radiators have a hot strip on the top but are cold on the bottom, and if the pipes are hot while the radiator stays cold.
If your central heating system needs constant restarting, or your boiler keeps breaking down, this also indicates there’s an issue. If you’re able to attach a magnet to the copper pipe work, this will tell you that there is iron sludge within, as copper is not usually magnetic. The more symptoms you have the quicker you should seek to have a power flush performed.
How does it work?
Performing a power flush requires a special machine to do the job. An engineer will connect it to your system and pump a powerful combination of chemicals through it. This helps to dislodge all the sludge and rust as well as prevent them from reoccurring in the future. After this, clean water is forced through the pipes to get rid of the contaminated liquid, which can then be disposed of.
How long a power flush takes depends on the size of the central heating system, and the extent of the issue facing it. It usually takes several hours to get done, but it will leave your heating system in a much better condition than before.
What do I need to do to get it done?
It’s not worth messing with your central heating if you don’t know what you’re doing – it’s much better to get a qualified engineer in to do the job. Not only can they diagnose the issue properly, and know if a power flush is the best course of action, but they will also be able to spot any other problems that need dealing with.
If you get an engineer to look over your boiler annually, they can make sure that everything stays in good condition. That way, you can actively prevent the conditions that require a power flush, or have one done before it becomes a larger issue.
If your central heating is in poor condition, or you think a power flush is the solution then you can count on us to fix the problem. Give us a call now to see what we can do for you.