What the eff even is a power-flush and how much are they?
Power flushing is an integral function of maintaining your central heating system.
The consistent wear and tear over time can deteriorate the pipes and radiators. The products of this deterioration are rust and other dirt and debris that ends up in the water flowing through the boiler.
All of this sludge can obstruct the central heating system, cause blockages, and make the pipes and radiators less efficient.
With power flushing, you can remove the rust build-up by sending water and chemicals at high velocity through the pipes.
This dislodges the debris and deep-cleans the pipes.
But how much does a power flush cost? Keep reading to know all about how much boiler power flushing costs and the factors that affect this cost.
P.S. Heatable includes a chemical flush and Adey magnetic filter with all new installs as standard, but you can upgrade to a ProFlush (magnacleanse) if you want an extra deep clean.
What Is Power Flushing?
Power flushing, as the name suggests, literally involves the flushing of unwanted debris out of the central heating system.
This clears out any sludge that may be blocking the boiler and heating system.
The accumulated debris and sludge lead to dirty water being circulated through the system’s pipes.
If this problem is not dealt with, it may even damage the boiler and cause you to replace it entirely.
Removing the debris from the system allows the radiators and pipes to heat up much faster.
It will also help make the system more energy-efficient and save you repairs that would have resulted from the accumulated debris.
Power flushing is required even when you are replacing the old boiler with a new one. It ensures there is no debris in the system and that the new boiler works efficiently.
Signs Your Heating System Needs A Power Flush
A power flush is needed when your system is full of debris and sludge.
There are various signs that will tell you whether your system has sludge build-up.
The more the build-up, the stronger and more obvious the signs and the greater need for power flushing.
Some of the signs that your system needs a power flush are:
Discoloured water.
Noisy system.
Constant leaks.
Bad performance.
Boiler shutdown.
Longer warm-up time.
However, you should know that a dysfunctioning or malfunctioning system may also be caused by other problems like damaged parts, and power flushing will not solve these issues.
So, you need to ensure that blockage and sludge are the reason for the reduced efficiency of the boiler.
Cost Of Power Flushing
The cost of power flushing varies depending on a variety of different factors, such as the cost of the flushing machine and gear, engineer’s fees, cost of inspection, whether chemical flush is involved, and the number of radiators.
More often than not, the cost is directly impacted by the number of radiators on your property.
So, here are the average power flushing costs based on the number of radiators:
Number of radiators | Cost range |
4 | £200-300 |
6 | £250-350 |
7 | £300-500 |
8 | £350-550 |
9 | £390-590 |
10 | £430-630 |
11 | £460-660 |
12 | £490-690 |
Generally, plumbers tend to charge a minimum cost for a certain number of radiators.
As the number of radiators increases, the cost also increased by 50-60 euros per radiator.
Factors That Affect the Cost of a Power Flush
As mentioned above, various factors affect the boiler power flush costs.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the major factors involved.
1. Sealed Or Open Vented System
An open vented system has a Feed and Expansion (F&E) tank, while a sealed system does not have it.
When the tank is placed at the highest point, the cleaning costs will also be more.
So, an open vented system will cost approximately 300 pounds more than a sealed system.
2. State Of Existing System
The amount of sludge present will impact the time required to clean it, and thus the cost.
The plumber may charge between 40-50 pounds per hour of extra work.
3. Type Of Pipework
The cost of flushing will also depend on the piping system.
Piping systems that are not easy to clean will cost more than systems that are easily cleaned.
4. Filter Unit Additions
If you are taking protective measures and adding a magnetic system filter, it will involve additional charges.
Although some companies include it in their quote, for those who do not, you may have to pay around 130 pounds extra.
5. Location
Labour charges are not the same everywhere. Some areas have higher labour charges than others.
So, depending on where you live, the cost of power flushing will vary.
6. Additional Fixes
If any part of the system is malfunctioning or is deteriorated, it will either need to be fixed or replaced.
This will involve additional costs for the extra labour, equipment, and the replacement part.
7. Replacing The Old Boiler
Even if you are replacing your boiler with a new one, you will need to perform power flushing first.
This is done so that all the debris is removed from the system.
Advantages Of Power Flushing
Having a power flush efficiently removes any debris that may be blocking your system.
Cleaning the system thus also leads to numerous other advantages.
1. Uniform Heating
Cold spots in radiators result from the blocked sludge obstructing the hot water from circulating through the system properly.
So, areas that are blocked and have no access to hot water will develop cold spots.
Cold spots are also an indicator of a faulty or dirty boiler. With a clean boiler, you do not have to worry about cold spots.
2. Lower Bills
A more efficient system will require less energy to heat up.
Thus, the amount of energy used directly correlates to the amount of cold water heated.
Power flushing ensures there is no energy wastage and thus no additional costs. So, you pay only for the power used.
3. Improve Reliability
Accumulation of sludge and debris increases the risk of damage to the system.
Power flushing reduces the probability of damage considerably.
It enables your system to become more reliable, and you save money on future repairs.
4. Increase System Lifespans
If your system has too much debris, it can get put pressure on certain parts and damage them.
Power flushing not only improves the efficiency of the system but increases its lifespan.
5. Boost Boiler Efficiency
With sludge present in the system, the boiler has to employ more pressure and energy to get the necessary output.
When the boiler is constantly facing issues like dirty water and low pressure, it may overwork the system.
After power flushing, the boiler can perform under normal conditions without any strain.
6. Restore Pressure
Due to the debris and blockage, the water flows at low pressure.
This reduced pressure results in the water failing to circulate properly.
But with a clean system after power flushing, the pressure is kept high and the system performance improves.
7. Noise Reduction
A system with sludge has to work harder to get water around.
This increased workload also causes the system to make a lot of noise.
The noise increases further if the system has to strain water through smaller places.
This excessive pressure on the system further increases the noise and can then damage the system even more.
8. Improve Water Quality
Sludge or debris will block the pipes and make the water dirty.
This water is unfit for everyday needs including bathing, showering, and cleaning.
Power flushing can easily help resolve this issue.
Power Flush Costs Conclusion
Power flushing is a cost-effective way to remove the blockage in your heating system as well as make the system more efficient.
It not only helps reduce power consumption but also improves the lifespan of the system.
To protect your system from damage, make sure you get power flushing done every 5-6 years as a precautionary method for overall maintenance.
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