Power Flush FAQs

How a Power Flush Works

What is Power Flushing?
Does my central heating system need a Power Flush?
How does Power Flushing work?
How long does a Power Flush take?
Who should preform a Power Flush?
How often does my central heating system need a Power Flush?
What are the benefits of Power Flushing?
Can my system be Power Flushed?
Power Flash or Chemical Flush?
Is Power Flushing always the answer?

How a Power Flush Works

Over time, your central heating can become clogged with dirt and sludge. Power flushing keeps your central heating system working efficiently and helps to guard against boiler breakdowns. If your system has been in operation for a while, it may be time for a power flush.

What is Power Flushing?

A power flush is a way of cleaning out all the rust, sludge and debris that accumulates in your central heating system over time. By removing dirt and blockages in the pipework, you’ll extend the life of your central heating system and make sure it works more efficiently as it heats your home.

Does my central heating system need a Power Flush?

It’s not always possible to see the problems caused by the sludge in your heating system. But if you have leaking pipework, cold spots in your radiators or your boiler breaks down, then a power flush could be the answer. In fact, in our experience, the build-up of contaminated water in the system is a contributing factor in 87 per cent of boiler breakdowns.

Common signs to look for:

○ Excessive noise from your central heating pump or boiler

○ Radiators being slow to warm up

○ Some radiators struggling to heat up more than others

○ When you bleed the radiators, the water is discoloured or no water escapes at all

○ Water flowing from header tank overflow pipe (external)

These are all signs that your central heating system may be due for a power flush. If you’re connecting a new condensing boiler to an old system, you’ll also need to do this before you start up your new boiler, Otherwise, the internal pipework can become damaged causing the boiler to breakdown.

How does Power Flushing work?

A power flush is the quickest and most effective way to remove blockages and sludge from your heating system.

During a power flush, a powerful pump unit or magnetic cleanser is connected directly to your central heating system. Depending on whether you have a combi or system boiler, the power flush pump will connect to the pump head, circulation pump or bespoke filter adaptors. It can also be connected across the tails of a radiator.

Once connected, this pump will flush a powerful blend of chemicals through the pipework. These will remove the sludge and rust in the system, destroy limescale and prevent rust from reoccurring in the future. Once any sludge, oil, scale, and other contaminants have been dislodged by the action of the chemicals, our heating engineer will force clean water through the pipes to remove all the contaminated liquid from the system, before properly disposing of it.

How long does a Power Flush take?

This really depends on the size of your home and your central heating system, but for a 3 bedroomed house, a power flush may take around 5-6 hours in a vented system. The length of time also depends on the severity of the problem and whether any parts of the system need replacing because they’re damaged beyond repair. However, the entire job should take no longer than a day.

Power flushing for sealed systems and combination boilers typically takes less time. That’s because it’s not necessary to cap off the expansion piping or cold feed.

Who should preform a Power Flush?

This should always be conducted by a qualified professional such as MyGas.

MyGas are accredited to CIPHE (Chartered Institute Plumbing Heating Engineering) and have the training and level of expertise with handling and combining the chemicals involved to perform a power flush correctly and safely. We have various power flush machines to suit all households and can power flush both sealed and vented systems.

We will also be able to identify problem areas and replace any parts of the system that have become damaged. Once the power flush is finished, you’ll receive a certificate to prove that the procedure has been carried out by ourselves in accordance with heating regulations.

How often does my central heating system need a Power Flush?

As part of your annual boiler service, our heating engineer will perform a visual inspection of the system. We will identify any problem areas where corrosion damage has occurred and will inform you of the risk of leaks. We will also be able to tell you whether a power flush is necessary to remove any blockages.

A power flush should always be performed when a new system is installed or a new boiler or radiator added. If your system is correctly maintained, then a power flush should only be necessary once every 5 years.

What are the benefits of Power Flushing?

Untreated sludge and rust in your central heating system can cause havoc. Your heating works inefficiently, costing you time and money when parts of the system fail and need to be replaced.

Having your central heating regularly serviced has some significant benefits for your home and your pocket. By improving the circulation of water in your heating system, your radiators will heat up more quickly, running with greater energy efficiency than before. That, in turn, results in lower running costs.

In the long run, a well-maintained heating system will have a longer life span with less likelihood of breaking down.

Can my system be Power Flushed?

Not every system is suitable for this, but our engineers will advise you whether they can perform a power flush on your particular system.

Systems that aren’t compatible with power flushing include electrical heating systems and radiators with twin entry valves. If your pipework is smaller than 15mm in diameter, it will require an alternative approach.

Power Flush or Chemical Flush?

If only one or two radiators are performing poorly, you may be able to have them chemically flushed. While a full power flush uses a pump to create pressure and flow throughout the system and dislodge any deposits, it is possible to simply flush the system by using the same combination of chemicals without the addition of the pump.

This can help to keep the system maintained or address any localised problems between each power flush.

Is Power Flushing always the answer?

Power flushing is the gold standard when it comes to keeping your heating system clean and well maintained. However, if the damage is already done, it may be more cost effective to replace the entire system. Our engineers will advise you as to the best steps to take to restore your specific system to optimum efficiency.