Cool Radiators? Think About Power Flushing

Central heating systems need to be serviced annually for many reasons, and one of them is that your system could be costing you more money than you need to.

Signs of a problem with your heating system

Are you noticing that your radiators are not as hot as they once were? You might have turned up the thermostat on the boiler to increase the heat output to no avail. Perhaps you notice that there are cool spots on the radiator? Bleeding the radiator (the process of releasing trapped air inside the radiator) makes no difference. And, in fact, there is no air to release. This is a sign that your radiators may be full of sludge. Another sign is noisy radiators. Clanging and gurgling. These are not healthy signs of an efficient system. This is usually a sign that there is a build-up of black thick sludge in the system with hot water struggling to move efficiently around the central heating system.

What causes sludge to form?

When oxygen enters the system during a top up of the system or when the system is emptied and refilled, dirt and debris mixed with water and this oxygen causes iron ore sludge to form. This is called magnetite and it can have a detrimental effect on your boiler, pipes and radiators if left. It could lead to a boiler breakdown and you will pay more for heating bills than you need to.

Up to 36% loss of heat can occur if the sludge isn’t dealt with. Noisy radiators with gurgling sounds are tell-tale signs that your central heating system needs to be cleaned to restore it to optimal health.

How can I get rid of the black sludge?

A power flush is a process of cleaning the sludge out of the central heating system restoring it to full health again. This should be undertaken by qualified heating engineers so that no damage occurs to your central heating system.

A power pump will force a large volume of water through the system and by reversing the flow of water can dredge up the sludge and push it out the system. Afterwards, fitting a magnetic filter will prevent the build-up of further sludge. This can be cleaned at boiler servicing each year to keep the system in good shape. Blockages might not be able to be resolved by the power pump and may need to be isolated and cut out manually.

An inhibitor which stops the build-up of sludge can also be added too. This inhibitor can balance the pH of the water and so reduce the incidence of corrosion.

In order to keep your central heating system efficiently we recommend a boiler service and a power flush so that your system will not be costing you more than you need to spend. Both a boiler service and power flushing should only be undertaken by qualified heating engineers. Your central heating system can be irrevocably damaged if the pressure of the power flush is too high.