Power flushing, only when the system needs it
A power flush pumps cleaning chemicals through the radiators and pipework at speed to clear the sludge that makes radiators cold at the bottom and wears out pumps and boilers. Ian tests the system water first and recommends a flush only when the sludge is there.
Prices are given on the phone, or after Ian has seen the job. Have your postcode ready.
Registrations
- Gas Safe
- 6061489
- OFTEC
- 11834
- Hours
- 7 days
- Base
- WV6
Not sure you need one?
Plenty of homes are sold a flush they don't need. Ring, describe the symptoms, and Ian will say whether it is worth testing the water.
When a flush is the right answer
Sludge is iron oxide from the inside of the radiators, and it shows itself in the same few ways.
- Cold at the bottom, hot at the topThe classic sign. Sludge settles at the bottom of the radiator and the water can't reach it.
- Black water when you bleed a radiatorClean system water is clear or slightly grey. Black or brown water is full of oxide.
- The boiler overheats or locks outSludge slows the flow through the heat exchanger. The boiler gets too hot and shuts down.
- Pump failuresSludge wears the pump and blocks it. A second pump failing in a few years points at the system water.
- A new boiler going onto old pipeworkManufacturers usually require the system to be cleaned before a new boiler is connected, or the warranty is at risk.
What a power flush involves
Test
The system water is tested. If it is clean, Ian says so and the flush doesn't happen.
Connect
The flushing pump is connected to the system, usually at the pump or a radiator, and cleaning chemical is added.
Flush
Each radiator is flushed in turn, with the pump reversing the flow to loosen the sludge, until the water runs clear. It takes most of a day, longer in a house with a lot of radiators.
Protect
The system is refilled with inhibitor to slow corrosion, and a magnetic filter can be fitted to catch what is left.
When a flush is not the answer
One cold radiator among many hot ones is usually a stuck valve or a balancing problem, and a flush is the wrong spend. Air in the top of radiators is bled out, not flushed.
An old system with rusting radiators and weeping joints may not survive a high-speed flush. In that case Ian will say so and suggest a gentler chemical clean, or replacing the worst radiators first.
Ian is extremely efficient and knowledgeable. I cannot recommend him enough
David Joynson, Google review
Before you ring
Do I need a power flush?
Only if the system water shows it. Radiators cold at the bottom, black water when you bleed them, or a boiler that keeps overheating are the usual signs. Ian tests the water first and recommends a flush only when the sludge is there. Power flushing.
How much does a power flush cost?
Ian quotes it once he has tested the system water and counted the radiators, because both change the job. Ring and describe the symptoms first: not every cold radiator needs a flush. Power flushing.
One radiator is cold. Do I need a new one?
Usually not. Cold at the top means air, which bleeding fixes. Cold at the bottom means sludge. Cold all over while the others are hot usually means the valve is stuck or the system needs balancing. A radiator only needs replacing when it leaks or is rusted through. Radiators.
How often should a boiler be serviced?
Once a year. Most manufacturers make the warranty depend on it, and a service catches small faults, like a tired expansion vessel or a blocked condensate trap, before they stop the boiler in January. Boiler servicing.