Powerflushing

Cleaning a central heating system is integral to its health, and powerflushing is a popular method thanks to the rapid but comprehensive clean it delivers, giving more even heat distribution, lower bills and a system that lasts longer.

Signs Your System Needs a Powerflush

• Radiators that are cold at the bottom or in patches, even once fully bled
• A noisy boiler, sometimes described as kettling or banging
• Discoloured, black or rusty water when you bleed a radiator
• Radiators needing to be bled more often than they used to
• Rooms heating up slowly, or unevenly compared to the rest of the house
• Frequent boiler breakdowns or lockouts

These are usually signs of a build up of sludge, technically known as magnetite, along with rust and limescale circulating through the pipework, radiators and boiler.

How Powerflushing Works

We carry out powerflushing in line with BS 7593:2019, the industry code of practice for cleaning and protecting heating systems. A dedicated powerflushing pump circulates a cleaning chemical around the system at high flow and low pressure, breaking down sludge that a simple drain and refill could never shift. Each radiator is flushed in turn until the water runs clear, before a corrosion inhibitor is added to protect the system going forward.

Powerflushing isn't the same as a basic flush, which just drains and refills the system at mains pressure. It won't touch compacted sludge sitting in the bottom of radiators or a boiler's heat exchanger, which is exactly the material a powerflush is designed to remove.

Protecting the System Afterwards

Once a system has been flushed, fitting a permanent magnetic filter is well worth considering. It continues to catch the fine iron oxide particles that boilers naturally produce over time, keeping the system cleaner for longer and reducing the chances of needing another full powerflush further down the line.