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Emergency Central Heating Power Flush Service


Looking for an emergency central heating power flush, then why not use our service that provides and dedicates themselves in emergency call outs.

At EPHG Limited we can provide a contractor that can undertake a power flushing service for your central heating by a heating engineer or an emergency plumber depending on what is required, so feel free to visit our Emergency Heating Engineer page.


Central Heating Power Flush Information


Just below we have a list of 33 common questions relating to central heating power flushing, with all common questions relating to what you are looking for in order to get the best from your central heating system, and further below is where we will answer your questions as best to our knowlegde.

Central heating power flush
  • I need a central heating power flushing service done on my heating system, who should I look for to do this?
  • What colour would my central heating look like before knowing I require a power flush?
  • Can I just drain the central heating system and refill it with a chemical and what would count as cleaning the system?
  • How much does a central heating power flush cost?
  • Why is a power flush so expensive?
  • What is the correct way to do a power flush?
  • Who is the best person to do the power flush?
  • Whats the difference between using a cheap power flushing machine and a cheap power flushing machine?
  • Would the size of the central heating pipe effect the time it takes to do a power flush?
  • Is it easier to do a power flush in a closed central heating system or an open central heating system?
  • How long does it take to do a central heating power flush?
  • Before a power flush is done, are there any chemicals required in the central heating system?
  • How does the power flushing machines connect to the central heating system?
  • Would the radiators need taking off the wall when doing a power flush?
  • What is the best chemical I can use when doing a power flush?
  • By not getting a central heating power flush done, would this stop my central heating from working?
  • How does the power flushing machines work in the central heating system?
  • Will not flushing the central heating system effect my boiler warranty or gaurantee?
  • How successful is powerflushing on the central heating system?
  • What warrantee does a power flush give when doing a power flush?
  • Is there any further work required when doing a power flush?
  • Whats the downside of powerflushing?
  • Will a powerflush increase the efficiency of my system?
  • How do you test the water after a power flush has been done?
  • Is there a risk that adding a lot of fresh water will add to limescale build up in the boiler or cylinder coil?
  • Can a powerflush damage my old radiators and pipework?
  • I have 8mm pipework will a powerflush remove any blockages?
  • Do you use a vibrating tool to remove hard deposits on the inside of my radiators?
  • Who's responsable for my heating system if anything goes wrong when a powerflush is done?
  • Does a powerflush get rid of blockages?
  • Can A feed and expansion pipe become blocked and is this part of a power flush?
  • What is the best way to clear the feed and expansion pipe when doing a power flush?
  • What is the best temperature to do a powerflush?
  • What areas do EPHG Limited currently cover when it comes to getting a power flush?

I need a central heating power flushing service done on my heating system, who should I look for to do this


The first thing that a person would do when searching for someone to power flush there central heating system is to look for a plumber and if in an emergency due to an issue, the person would generally search for an emergency plumber.

By searching for a plumber, it is the most likely search term when requiring a central heating power flush and if you type in gas engineer, then your making a better choice, however, to get someone that specialises in powerflushing, you would type in central heating power flushing service.

How much does a central heating power flush cost


The amount of money it will genually cost for an engineer to do a power flush depends on what is required on the central heating system and how dirty the heating system is.

Here is a list of what else to look for when getting the right price for what is required doing:

  • How big is the company in question doing the powerflush
  • What is the reputation of the company that you're using
  • In general, what would the engineer like to be earning on a daily basis
  • How experience is the engineer doing the powerflush
  • How old is the engineer doing the powerflush and would you consider them being in there prime
  • What level of understanding do they leave you with giving the confidence of that you will do a good job

In most cases and not all, the cost of the power flush will reflect the work that is being done from the standard job you have requested to the added extras you have requested.

We're unable to tell you how much a power flush should cost, however, we can give you an idea of what we would estimate the cost to being which would be between £399 and £899 depending on where abouts in the UK you are on a 7 radiator system as long as there is no further issues

This would mean that if you was to receive a quote of around £649 for a powerflush, then this would be reasonable.

Can I just drain the central heating system and refill it with a chemical and that would count as cleaning the system


Draining the water from your central heating system instead on giving your central heating system a power flush will most certainly remove your dirty water that is circulating around your system and give you a better flow which is a little like cheating if that is the purpose your doing it for, however this is not the way you clean your central heating system.

By draining down your central heating system without giving your central heating the much required power flush, your just leaving yourself open to current and future issues.

What you will be doing if your cleaning your central heating system incorrect is leaving sludge in your radiators and what has clung on to pipe work and awkward to get off.

Why is a power flush so expensive


Getting a power flush can be regarded as expensive by most and can come across as a bit of a shock.

Many people will search round for the cheapest quote and by searching, they are likely going to find someone that doesn't do a good job, which is the reason you are best getting someone reputable.

A survey done found out that at least 1 in 3 tradesperson doesn't do a central heating power flushing correctly and by getting 3 different quotes, you are likely going to find at least one of them who is going to quote you cheaply and not do a decent enough job.

A standard powerflush of about 8 radiators is likely going to take about a full days work being one person and is always done quicker if there is two people doing the central heating power flush.

The equipment has to also be maintained, chemicals have to be paid for and the machine required is also expensive.

What is the correct way to do a power flush


There are many incorrect ways to do a power flush such as just draining the water, putting chemicles in, draining the water down again, then refilling with other chemicles.

The most common mistake that is made is engineers doing the power flush too quickly and not using the Radhammer.

Reading instructions to begin with is the most important part of the power flush and following the guideline is important.

Would the size of the central heating pipe effect the time it takes to do a power flush


The larger the central heatin g system, the longer it will take for a power flush and this also includes the size of the pipes, however, if your comparing the larger pipes to microbore, it could be that you have a blockage which will take longer and is generally not in witht he cost of the power flush as further work may be required if the contractor can not get the blockage out with a simple power flush.

Is it easier to do a power flush in a closed central heating system or an open central heating system?


Doing a power flush in a closed system is much easier than doing a power flush in open system for the reason as explained below.

When doing a power flush in an open central heatin gsystem, you have to keep in mind that you have to deal with a central heating storage tank and that it has to be cleaned out.

It is also common that the older the central heating system you have in your property, the more likely you could have blockages to the feed and explantion.

The estimate time added on between the open central heating system to the closed central heating system could be between 1 to 3 hours meaning this has to be considered when giving an estimate.

How long does it take to do a central heating power flush


Doing a central heating power flush all depends on teh size of the central heating, however if your looking for a rough guideline, then the average central heating power flush done on a 7 radiator closed system could be done between 6 to 8 hours.

With an open system you could say this would add an additional 1 to 3 hours.

If you have more than 7 radiators then a rough guidline would say to add an hour on to every radiator.

If you have a blockage on the central heating system, this could end up being 1 to 4 hours per blockage and most likely towards the 1 hours has long as a contractor can get to the central heating pipe.

Before a power flush is done, are there any chemicals required in the central heating system


The best way to do a power flush is to try and get as much dirt out as possible which includes the stubborn dirt in the radiators.

Once you have got as much of the dirt out of the central heating system as possible, you can the add the central heating chemicals and follow instructions.

How does the power flushing machines connect to the central heating system


There are many ways you can connect to the central heating system when doing a central heating power flush and one of the most common ways is by taking a radiator of the wall generally from the hallway or kitchen and connecting the pipe fittings from the power flush machine to the radiator valves.

Other ways you could connect the power flushing machine pipes are through the central heating pump connections, the central heating filter or the flow and return going away from the boiler.

Would the radiators need taking off the wall when doing a power flush


When doing a power flush, it is always good practise to take one radiator of the wall if the power flush machine is connecting to the radiator valves, however its not important that the radiators do come of the wall depending on the scale of the dirt.

If the central heating system is found to be very sludgy, it may be a good idea to take as many radiators of making sure the radiators are fully free from dirt.

What is the best chemical I can use when doing a power flush


All power flush chemicals are very similar, however some are more rich than others when it comes to doing a job better,

Personal I like to go with a name brand because for the reason of trust, so I would probably have to say Sentinel.

What colour would my central heating look like before knowing I require a power flush


If you have central heating water that is murky brown, then you require a power flush and there are test equipment to check your own central heating system by using a power flush test kit.

The darker the water is, the more likely you will need a power flush, however you would be better keeping your central heating system clear at all times.

By not getting a central heating power flush done, would this stop my central heating from working


If your planning on not having a central heating system having a power flush and worried that your central heating system will stop working is like asking how long a piece of string is.

The dirtier the central heating the system, the more than likely your central heating system wont work.

In regards to warrantee's and central heating system's, manufacturs generally state they can not warrantee a dirty central heating system and for this reason, it is likely your central heating system will stop working at some point within the warrantee period.

What warrantee does a power flush give when doing a power flush?


As long as the power flush has been done correctly, there should be no reason why your central heating system should have any future problems as long as there are a suitable mantenance plan is include along with a preventation plan such as a filter.

Is there any further work required when doing a power flush


In most case when a client requests a central heating power flush, it is that they know they have dirty water and just want it clearing, however in many other cases, a customer waits until it is too late.

If requesting a power flush at the point of the central heating power flush being too late, it is like that there is further work required meaning there could be many other issues such as blockages.

Whats the downside of powerflushing


The only downside of a power flush is the thought of trades people in your house, the up-evil and inconvenience, the possibilty of the power flush finding a week spot of the central heating system causing a burst radiator or pipe.

At it's worst, the burst pipe scenario could be the worst that could happen costing the client or there insurance money as this is general not the fault of the contractor.

If your lucky, if a burst was to happen, it would be at the point you have a contractor on site and not after depending on the condition of the central heating system as soft spots could be impossible to find.

Will a powerflush increase the efficiency of my system


By using a power flushing machine to get the dirt out of the central heating system, you will most definately increase the efficiency because;

When water circulates the central heating system, the frequency of the flow is much heavier when there is dirt in the central heating system.

How do you test the water after a power flush has been done


To test the central heating water to check the central heating has been done, you can bleed the central heating water by catching the water in a cup or a bowel and by using the testing kit, you can check the quality of the water, however a more simpler way is to test it by eye, however this doesnt give an exact measure of the quality of the water.

Is there a risk that adding a lot of fresh water will add to limescale build up in the boiler or cylinder coil


By continually adding water, you are at risk of adding foreign particles such as soil, limescale and much more which is the reason you should add chemicals which keeps your central heating healthy.

Can a powerflush damage my old radiators and pipework


Using power flush could damage central heating systems and radiators if the central heating system has a week spot, however by finding the weekspot well the power flush is being done is a good thin because, at some point, there is likely going to be a leak or burst costing much more money and damge.

I have 8mm pipework will a powerflush remove any blockages


If your wondering if a powerflush moving a blockage work, then most like not depending on how solid the blockage is and is generally regarded by contractors and an engineers nightmare.

When our clients call up in an emergency asking for a powerflush to be done, because we're an emergency service, it is more than likely because there central heating isnt working.

The generally ask for a quote on a central heating system which we explain, however, in most case, tehy also fail to tell us they have a blockage and then realise the job becomes bigger costing more money.

Do you use a vibrating tool to remove hard deposits on the inside of my radiators


When it comes to having hard deposits in your radiator, you cant just expect a power flushing machine to just run and free the hard sludge of there deposits in the radiator, you have to use a tool that removes most hard deposits.

One of the tools used to remove hard deposits in the radiator is called the Radhammer.

Who's responsable for my heating system if anything goes wrong when a powerflush is done


If a contractor does anything wrong well doing the powerflush then it is the responsibility of the contractor to put it right, however, if you mean that an issue has arised due to a week poin in the central heating system that isn't the fault of the contractor and is caused by the power flush, then there should be no reason that the contractor is responsible for this.

Does a powerflush get rid of blockages


A power flush can get rid of blockage if they are soft enough, but, in most cases, I would have to say no if the blockage is of a hard matter.

Can a feed and expansion pipe become blocked and is this part of a power flush


In a general central heating system that isnt well looked after, it is very possible that at the point of the access that the feed and expansion connects into the central heating system could become blocked, so when a central heating power flush is being undertaken, it is wise to make sure you are getting this issue resolved before it becomes too late.

The reason that the tee junctions become blocked up is become the pipe that branches off become more stagnant meaning, the dirt that circulates the central heating system collects more easily causing a blockage that gets harder over time.

If the branch to the feed and expansion get too blocked up, it is likely that a blockage can occur and even worse, cause the central heating to have no place to expand too causing much damage to the central heating system.

What is the best way to clear the feed and expansion pipe when doing a power flush


The best thing to do when clearing the central heating system is to place the mains water feed through the feed pipe to make sure there are no blockage.

Once you have found out there are no blockages, you could connect the feed to the expansion as long as you also connect an expansion vessal allowing the feed and expansion pipe to circulate and become clearer.

What is the best temperature to do a powerflush


The optimum heat for doing a powerflush is at 40 degrees meaning it is not too cold to remove the sludge and not too hot for an engineer to handle.

Central Heating Power Flushing Credits


The article for central heating power flush was though up by Martin Smith the cirector of EPHG Limited who also runs a nation company mainly doing the emergency calls in regards to electrical, plumbing, heating and gas, however, we would like to thanks the contractors who helped with the questions and answers.

  • Gary Look from Bournemouth
  • Stephen Blair from Walsall
  • Liam Watts from Newcastle
  • Stephen Tregear from Darlington
  • Patrick Wheeler from Dorking
  • Darren Russell from Walsall
  • James Lewis from Birmingham
  • Steve Bester from London
  • Robert Jamison from Llanelli

What areas do EPHG Limited currently cover when it comes to getting a power flush


EPHG Limited cover about 98% of the UK in population and is also happy to assist you if in need.