Power Flushing

Keep your system running smoothly

A Powerflush is a cleansing process for your boiler which removes any dirt, sludge, rust and debris that may have accumulated within your system over time. If these substances are left in your heating system, they could cause blockages or corrosion and ultimately reduce the efficiency of your boiler – they could even eventually lead to a breakdown.

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What happens during a power flush and how long could it take?

Using a specialised machine, a chemical is circulated through your radiators, pipes and boiler at a high pressure. This flushes out any potentially inhibiting deposits and thus allows water to flow freely throughout your system.

The length of time needed for a Powerflush typically depends on your system’s size and condition. Usually, a Powerflush can take up to around 8 hours to perform, however on particularly complicated systems, it could take up to 2 days.

What are the benefits of getting a power flush?

There are plenty of benefits of getting a Powerflush. These include:

Enhanced energy-efficiency
Improved system reliability
Potentially lower energy bills*
Reduced likeliness of boiler breakdown
Could increase system lifespan
Radiators can warm up quicker
Better quality of heating and hot water
Reduced noise from boiler and radiators

When should you get a system power flush?

Powerflushing is required when the system is heavily contaminated. This can be caused by a number of factors including incorrect installation, the system not been thoroughly cleansed before installation or bacterial growth.

If you’re getting a new boiler installed, the building regulations recommend that a suitable cleanse is carried out prior to the installation. This can vary from a simple system flush with clean water to a powerful Powerflush on more contaminated systems. This helps to prevent your new system from being contaminated and inhibited by the sludge and debris that was present in your old one.

Signs your system needs a power flush:

There are a number of signs that could help you determine whether your system needs a Powerflush. These include:

Cold spots on your radiators, particularly at the bottom
The radiators require constant bleeding
Noisy radiators and boiler
Radiator leaks
Frequent breakdowns
Boiler constantly needs to be restarted
Central heating takes a long time to heat up
Some radiators struggle to heat up more than others
Discoloured water when radiators are bled
Cold radiators but hot pipes

Who should perform a power flush?

You should always ensure that a professional carries out any work on your central heating system. Qualified engineers will always carry their Gas Safe ID with them, you can ask to see it if you have any doubts.

Whilst there are no rules stating that you must be Gas Safe registered to perform a system Powerflush, you must be competent and able to complete the job properly. A mistake could make your heating system perform worse than what it did before and there are risks in using the specialised chemicals. We therefore recommend seeking the help of a professional.

HomeServe has a number of local expert engineers that are skilled in performing Powerflushes. You could get in touch today to help diagnose whether your system requires a Powerflush and to book an appointment.

How much does a power flush cost?

Prices for a central heating Powerflush can vary depending on the size of your heating system and the complexity of the job. Generally, prices can start at approximately £300. This may seem like a costly expense, however there are potential savings to be made due to enhanced system efficiency and this measure could help to prevent an expensive breakdown in the future.

What is MagnaCleanse?

MagnaCleanse is a new flushing process designed to maintain and protect all domestic central heating systems from the damaging effects of iron oxide sludge build up. Not only does it clean the system, it provides ongoing protection for the boiler with the installation of a MagnaClean filter. This protection lasts throughout the lifetime of the boiler and helps to reduce central heating energy bills by up to 6%.

The objective is to catch and remove deposits of iron oxide sludge, rust and any other magnetic debris from the radiators and pipework and restore systems with circulation problems or boiler noises caused by the murky water and corrosion deposits. MagnaCleanse in conjunction with a permanently installed MagnaClean filter can remove these deposits and the problems that they cause.

While power flushing is extremely effective when carried out by a qualified engineer, it's a fact that the build up of iron oxide is an ongoing issue within the system. MagnaCleanse delivers an extremely effective solution because it not only removes just as much sludge from the heating system, it also provides ongoing lifetime protection with the installation of a MagnaClean domestic filter.

Do I need a MagnaCleanse & MagnaClean filter?

Some of the main signs that your system could need a system MagnaCleanse with a MagnaClean filter installed:

Cold areas on radiators (usually at the bottom)
Excessive noise from the boiler or the heating system pump
Reduced boiler performance
Discolored brown/black water when you bleed/vent the radiators
A general slow warming of the central heating system

The MagnaCleanse process?

A central heating engineer will install a magnetic filter to the central heating system
(if you do not have one pre installed)

The MagnaCleanse unit can be attached to any pressurised central heating system without the need for a pre-installed MagnaClean filter but having a MagnaClean filter already installed on your central.

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