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Does your central heating need a power flush? 7 signs to look for
Over time, most wet central heating systems build up sludge: a mix of rust, scale and debris that settles in radiators, pipes and the boiler's heat exchanger. Left alone, it makes the system less efficient and can shorten the life of your boiler. Here is how to tell if your system needs attention.
7 signs of sludge in your heating system
Radiators are warm at the top but cold at the bottom.
Some radiators take much longer to heat up than others.
The boiler makes a kettling, banging or gurgling noise.
Water from a bleed valve comes out brown or black.
You need to bleed radiators often.
The boiler locks out or loses pressure regularly.
The pump or diverter valve has failed more than once.
What is a power flush?
A power flush pumps cleaning chemicals through the whole system at high flow, radiator by radiator, to loosen and remove sludge. The dirty water is flushed out and replaced with clean water and a corrosion inhibitor to protect the system afterwards.
When is a power flush worth it?
When you are fitting a new boiler to an older system, because many manufacturers require a clean system for the warranty.
When several of the signs above appear together.
When a system has never been cleaned and has old radiators and pipework.
For newer systems with minor sludge, a chemical cleanse and a magnetic filter can be enough. A good engineer will tell you which you need rather than recommend a power flush by default.
Keep it clean afterwards
Fit a magnetic filter on the return pipe to the boiler and have it cleaned at each annual service.
Make sure the system has the right level of inhibitor.
Bleed radiators at the start of each heating season.
Book a heating check
The Essential Connection carries out power flushing, system cleaning and boiler servicing across Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Cobham, Esher, Kingston and South West London. Get in touch or call 07719 664615.
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