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Powerflushing in Torfaen
Radiators cold at the bottom and hot at the top is sludge, not a boiler fault. A powerflush is what clears it.
We powerflush systems across Torfaen from our base in Cwmbran, and we see a lot of it — much of the housing here has heating that has been running for thirty or forty years with the original steel radiators.
Why older Torfaen systems need it more
The longer a system has run without inhibitor, the more black iron oxide has formed. In houses where radiators have been swapped one at a time over the years, nobody has ever cleaned the whole system, and the sludge that has been building since the seventies is still in there.
The symptoms
Cold at the bottom of the radiator, some that never warm at all, banging or kettling from the boiler, and a system that takes forever to come up to temperature.
What we do
Connect a pumping unit and push water through at high velocity in both directions with a cleaning chemical, so the debris comes out rather than settling somewhere else. Most of a day, depending on how many radiators.
When you do not need one
If someone has told you every system needs flushing annually, that is not true, and we will not sell you one you do not need. We will tell you honestly whether yours does.
Before a new boiler
Most manufacturers require the system to be cleaned first and will not honour the warranty otherwise.
Call 07476 272447.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of sludge in my central heating system?
A power flush is the only method that reliably removes it once it has formed; chemical cleaner on its own loosens the sludge but leaves it in the system. In the older Torfaen housing we flush, then fit a magnetic filter and dose with inhibitor, because a system that silted up once will do it again without both. Draining one radiator is a different job and does not fix the house.
How long does it take to power flush a heating system?
Most of a working day. A six or seven radiator terrace is often four to five hours; a larger house with twelve radiators can take a full day or more, because every radiator is treated separately. Older systems here take longer still, since there is more in the bottom of each panel to shift.
How often should a heating system be power flushed?
Only when it needs it. A system with inhibitor in it and a magnetic filter on it may never need another. The usual guide on an older system is every five to ten years, and always before a new boiler goes on, because the manufacturer will want it clean.
Is it worth having a power flush?
In the older Torfaen housing it usually is, because a lot of those systems have run for decades on their original steel radiators with no inhibitor. The tell is a radiator hot across the top and cold across the bottom third. If your system is ten years old, has a filter fitted and heats evenly, keep your money.
What are the disadvantages of power flushing?
The one that bites on old valley systems is leaks appearing where sludge had been doing the sealing, usually at valve unions or on radiators corroded from the inside. It also means a full day without heating, which is worth booking outside January. We look at the state of the radiators first and tell you what we expect to happen.