Power Flushing in West Malling (74)

Many homeowners in the UK rely on a central heating system to keep them warm during the winter. However, over time rust and sludge can collect in your boiler and radiators, affecting how they function and causing blockages.

The best way to fix this issue is power flushing. A power flush involves letting high speed jets of water into your system to clear away any build up. If you’re unsure whether or not your system needs a power flush, look out for the following warning signs:

• Dirty radiator water

• Cold spots on your radiators

• Noisy boiler

• Slow functioning central heating system

• Small leaks from your radiators

• Boiler failure

Getting a power flush to clear out your central heating system can be essential to keeping it functioning the way it should.

The amount you pay will vary depending on the following factors:

• Size of home - The bigger your home is, the bigger your central heating system will be. This will affect how much power flushing costs.

• Number of radiators - The more radiators your home has, the longer power flushing will take. This will increase the price of this job.

• Time needed - Many professionals will charge an hourly fee for this job. As such, the longer power flushing takes, the more you’ll pay.

• Location - Labour prices vary depending on where you live in the UK. London is usually the most expensive area.

Power flush cost

The cost to power flush a small 2 bedroom flat will cost around £300, while power flushing a 4 bedroom home will cost around £500. If you’re paying an hourly rate, the average power flush cost will be £50 per hour.

You can find more prices and information in our power flush cost guide.

In order to power flush your central heating system, you need to not only understand the technique, you also need to buy specialist equipment and set aside a lot of free time. For these reasons, we’d recommend hiring an expert to carry out the flush.

As power flush prices are quite affordable, starting at £300, there’s no need to invest in expensive equipment yourself.

The time needed for this job comes down to the size of your home and central heating system. Larger systems will take longer to flush. Generally, it’ll take around 8 hours to power flush your central heating, however it could take up to 2 days.

This really depends how often sludge begins to build up in your system. Regularly check for the warning signs under our ‘what is a power flush’ FAQ. If you notice these signs, now is the time to book your power flush. Or, as a general guide, it’s recommended you get your central heating power flushed every 5 to 6 years.

Yes. Plumbers and heating engineers can do a power flush.

The best option for doing a power flush, however, would be to hire a Gas Safe Engineer. They will be able to perform the flush safely and provide you with a Gas Safe Certificate once completed.

Yes. To ensure that your heating system is working efficiently, it should be power flushed every five to ten years.

Unfortunately, if your heating system hasn’t been properly maintained, it may have a significant build up of sludge in the system.

If the system is really badly sludged, power flushing will not work, and you will need to replace your boiler and radiators.

No. When done by a professional plumber, a power flush will never damage your boiler.

All boilers are designed to withstand at least 4.5 bars of pressure. Power flushing a heating system does not increase the pressure inside a boiler. The pressure remains at 2 bar throughout the operation.

The power flush works by pushing water through the system at high speed not high pressure. This ensures that no damage occurs during the process.

The best way to power flush a heating system is to use a professional plumber, heating engineer, or Gas Safe Engineer. A skilled tradesperson will use a specialist power flushing machine and take the following steps:

1. Prepare the area. Lay down protective sheets and a container to collect any escaping water.

2. Connect the power flush machine. The connection method will vary for different heating systems and their complexity. All systems, however, must be fully drained of water before power flushing begins.

3. Flush the system. The power flush machine will pump specialist cleaning chemicals through the entire central heating system. This will be done multiple times and sometimes in both directions of flow. Sludge and debris will be flushed out of the system during the process. If there are any particularly damaged radiators, they may be removed and flushed separately to ensure a thorough clean.

4. Refill the system. Once the system has been power flushed; the engineer will refill the system with clean water. They may add an inhibitor solution to the system to prevent the future build-up of dirt and debris.

A power flush is usually more effective than a chemical flush. A chemical flush does not use a pump and relies on the system’s gravity and the cleaning chemicals used to flush the system.

A chemical flush is a more basic method of cleaning out a heating system and is usually the cheaper and quicker option.