20/06/2018
What is Power Flushing
Power flushing is a way of cleaning a central heating system, the flushing process is designed to remove sludge deposits, internal rust and any debris that may have collected in the system. All these contaminants can cause major issues with your boiler and heating system creating a decrease in efficiency and performance. In cases where the system hasn’t been looked after power flushing may be the only option in removing the debris.
Power flushing works by connecting a flushing machine to the heating pipework and circulating water at high speed through the pipework, with the help of a power flushing cleaner all the debris is circulated back to the flushing machine where its collected and removed. Each radiator is power flushed individually to ensure all debris is removed. Flushing the system continues until the water becomes clear and has a neutral ph level. Once the flushing process is complete inhibitor is added to ensure the system stays in good order.
There are a few ways of checking whether the heating system needs a power flush:
- Cold spots in radiators - Radiators feel cold to the touch at the bottom but hot at the top.
- Heating system taking a while to heat up - Partial blockage in pipework due to sludge can cause circulation issues and even create no circulation at all to some radiators.
- Noise from the boiler or system - Sludge can cause pumps to run slow or even seize which in-turn my cause the boiler to overheat or create a kettling noise.
- Sludge forming in the feed and expansion tank - The water will be discoloured when bleeding radiators.
Using a power flushing machine is the most effective way of cleaning a heating system and with the radiators not needing to be removed it causes less disruption.
At Clifford Heating Services we combine a Fernox Powerflow MK III with an Adey Magnacleanse rapid flush filter, ensuring the heating system is cleaned as efficiently as possible. Whilst the power flushing machine is circulating we would concentrate on every radiator individually with an Adey Vibraclean Agitator which vibrates the radiator to remove the stubborn cold spots.
