Powerflushing Your Central Heating System

All central heating systems will need a powerflush at some point in their lifespan as it’s easy for sludge, rust and debris to build up in the pipes and radiators. If left untreated, these will slow down the efficiency of your system and stop heat flowing throughout your home, leaving some rooms colder than others.

In these cases, powerflushing may be the only solution (and it’s generally recommended where you may be installing a new boiler into an old central heating system). Depending on its age, if your system has never had a powerflush, the chances are that you will probably need one; especially if you find yourself having to bleed your radiators on a regular basis.

How do I know when I need a powerflush?

• Rooms take a long time to warm up

• Some rooms are warmer than others

• Radiators need frequent bleeding (should only need doing a couple of times a year)

• Cold spots on radiators, even after bleeding

• Boiler keeps cutting out/making excessive noise

• Discoloured water after bleeding

• Cloudy tap water

How do I prevent sludge?

You may be able to avoid the need for a powerflush by getting a magnetic filter (magnifilter) installed into your central heating system. This is a device which collects the iron oxide and sludge that circulate in your system. The iron oxide is attracted to the magnet which then removes it from the system, stopping it from causing damage to your central heating.

If you’re installing a new boiler in your home, the engineer may recommend fitting a magnifilter and it’s sometimes possible to add one to an existing system (it’s sometimes a struggle due to their bulky size).

What do I need to know about powerflushes?

Most powerflushes take around 6 hours to complete although if your system is bigger, it can take longer. It generally takes half a day to powerflush a small system and a full day for a large one.

These can be relatively expensive but depend on your system’s size and location; they range from £300 up to around £800. If you’d like to do it yourself, you’ll need a powerflushing machine and an appropriate cleaning chemical.

Although expensive, it’s better to arrange an expert to do this rather than take on the job yourself unless you have experience, as it’s a very technical process which requires specialist machinery.

What are the benefits to me?

Some of the benefits of a powerflush are:

• A warmer home with heat evenly distributed

• Savings on your energy bills

• Reduced fuel bills

• Reliable hot, running water

• A reliable central heating system

• Increased system life span

Other signs that this is Carbon Monoxide poisoning rather than a cold, are that symptoms occur when you’re at home but seem to disappear when you leave and that others in your household are experiencing similar symptoms at a similar time.

What to do if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning

• Get fresh air immediately –  don’t delay!

• Open your doors and windows, turn off any gas appliances and leave your house

• See a doctor immediately or go to hospital. There’s a blood test doctors can run to check and advise if you need treatment

• If you think there’s immediate danger, call the Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999.

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

To minimise the risk of this happening, one of the most important things you can do is to ensure that your gas appliances (especially your boiler) are checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Installing an accredited carbon monoxide (CO) leak detector or CO alarm in your home is a good second line of defence. As an alarm only activates once there is CO present however, you should rely on it as your sole form of prevention.

According to the Gas Safe Register website, making sure that any alarm you buy is marked EN 50291 and has the British Standard Kitemark is essential. They do not recommend use of ‘black spot detector’ warning strips as the warning is too easily missed and no sound is emitted so won’t alert you if you have a leak while you’re asleep.

To find out more about how we’re here to solve your emergency breakdowns with our boiler and central heating cover including service and other types of home emergency cover, including plumbing and drainage and home appliances cover, contact our friendly team on 0330 09 48 301 or get a quote online.