There are a few key jobs you should do around the house as the colder weather draws in. Central heating flushing is a small task but can make a big difference in keeping your home warm and cosy in the months to come.

Every time you use your central heating you are contributing to a slow and steady build-up of gunk in your system. It’s iron oxide and dirt that collects from the water in the radiators, pumps and other parts of your setup. Over time this will eventually impede your water circulation. 

Do I need to flush my central heating? 

You might be able to tell if your central heating needs flushing because your radiators may have become slow to heat, they heat unevenly when they do come on or you may see very dirty water coming out when you bleed them.

This is not only inconvenient but can significantly shorten the lifespan of your central heating system or some of its key components. Pumps, for example, are more likely to fail after they have been made to work harder by poor water flow. 

Equipment needed to power flush a central heating system 

The professional way to handle this problem is to use a power flush. This is a process where water and cleaning chemicals are pushed at high pressure through your central heating system to let them break down residues along the way. This sounds like a big job but with the right equipment it’s straightforward. This is where Plantool can help you out.

Here’s how it works: 

• Find a spot where you have a cold feed of water and somewhere to get rid of wastewater. You’ll also need to plug the pump into a power supply.
• If you can, remove the heating circulator pump and use this as the point to connect your power flush machine. If that’s not possible then connect the flush to a radiator. 
• Fill the unit with water and let the pump move it into and through your central heating for a couple of minutes. 
• Add your cleaning chemicals (we stock Kamco Chemicals for the best results) and leave to pump for around 15 minutes. 

Next, it’s time to focus on the radiators that you think might have a particular problem:

• After you’ve left the pump to circulate around the whole system for a while, use a rubber mallet or flat of your hand to vibrate (or bang) problem radiators. What you’re trying to do here is dislodge debris. 
• Now it’s time for the next flush. One radiator at a time you should drain wastewater, then flush with clean water until the outflow is clear. Repeat for all your radiators. 
• Once you’ve dealt with each individually, reopen all the valves and continue to flush through until the water draining out from your pump is completely clean. 

  • Make sure you close any drain or bleed points when you finish, keeping the system working well.
  • Once you’ve completed the flush and are seeing clean water, switch on the boiler and let the central heating come to temperature. You may need to bleed the radiators as you do so. 

    If you find your central heating system is underperforming then book Plantool's professional power flush equipment today. For the best equipment every time, choose Plantool at https://hirecentres.com/