An engineer connects a specialised pumping station to your heating system and flushes out the system until the water comes out clean. They’ll use a blend of chemicals to flush out the pipes which could take anywhere from a few hours to a day to complete depending on how large the heating system is and how much contamination there is to flush out.
Power flushing has been used in manufacturing and the mining industry for decades for all sorts of cutting and cleaning applications. By controlling the pressure water jetting can be adapted for use for all sorts of cleansing and scouring purposes, which makes it ideal for reaching blockages inside hard-to-reach pipes.
When is power flushing needed?
The pipes in our drainage systems are designed to carry waste water and sewerage out of our buildings. The liquid that flows through the pipes contains all sorts of debris like soap, bits of food, hair, and grease, which can build up on the interior surface of the pipes and cause a blockage. Roots also sometimes invade pipes, trapping debris as the effluent flows by, eventually clogging the pipes.
Pipes in heating systems also need cleaning out from time to time. The high pressure water removes rust and debris that builds up in central heating pipes and radiators. The key symptoms that your central heating system needs power washing are:
- When your radiators need to be bled more frequently
- When radiators or pipes are leaking.
- Noise from your boiler
- Radiators take too long to heat up
- Dirty water when radiators are bled
Should I call a professional to power flush my pipes?
Sometimes people try to unblock their drains themselves using commercially available acid products, which may provide a temporary solution but can also damage pipes and pose a health hazard. Whereas power washing gets rid of the issue at its source. So, if you notice your sink drains or toilet being slow to empty, or experience an overflowing drain, calling a power flushing expert is your best bet.
How does power flushing work?
Power flushing is an effective way to remove blockages and sludge from your heating system. Depending on whether you have a combi or system boiler, the power flush pump will connect to the pump head or circulation pump. It can also be connected across the tails of a radiator.
The engineer will then flush a powerful blend of chemicals through the pipes. These will remove the sludge and rust in the system, destroy limescale and prevent rust from reoccurring in the future. Once any sludge, oil, scale and other contaminants have been dislodged by the action of the chemicals, your heating engineer will force clean water through the pipes to remove all the contaminated liquid from the system, before properly disposing of it.