Powerflush and MagnaCleanse in Crawley and West Sussex

What a powerflush actually is

A powerflush is a deep clean of your whole central heating system. A specialist pump pushes cleaning chemicals and fresh water through the pipes, radiators and boiler at high velocity but low pressure. The speed of the flow shifts the sludge, rust, limescale and debris that build up over the years, and the machine carries it out of the system instead of leaving it to settle somewhere else.

It is often needed before a new boiler goes in, because many manufacturers want the system cleaned first for the warranty to stand.

More signs your heating needs a powerflush

Radiators cold at the bottom are the classic sign, but not the only one. Look out for:

• Radiators that need bleeding again and again. Air that keeps coming back often means something inside the system is corroding.
• Brown or black water when you bleed a radiator. That colour is sludge.
• Gurgling in the pipes, as well as banging or kettling from the boiler.
• A pump that keeps failing. Sludge wears pumps out and jams them.
• A boiler that keeps cutting out. Restricted flow makes it overheat and shut itself down.

Powerflush or MagnaCleanse: which does your system need?

We are Adey trained and use both methods. They do the same job in different ways and suit different systems.

Traditional powerflush

High-velocity water and cleaning chemicals, with the direction of flow reversed to shift stubborn deposits from pipes and radiators. It breaks down blockages and removes heavy sludge. This is the one for heavily contaminated systems, blocked radiators and severe sludge problems.

MagnaCleanse

Adey’s magnetic cleansing process. A powerful magnetic filter captures the fine metal particles as the cleaning chemical circulates. It suits systems with moderate contamination, and it works well as routine maintenance and prevention.

We decide which your system needs after testing it, not before, and you get a fixed price for that method.

Magnetic filters: keeping a clean system clean

A magnetic filter, such as Adey’s MagnaClean, sits on the heating pipework and catches sludge and metal particles every time the heating runs. It protects the boiler from the debris that damages it, keeps the system running efficiently and stops the sludge you have just paid to remove from building up again. We recommend one on every system, and especially on any new boiler.

Can a powerflush cause leaks?

A powerflush does not create leaks. It can reveal weak points that were already there.

• Hidden pinholes. Sludge sometimes builds up over a small pinhole or a corroded spot and seals it for a while. Clean the sludge away and the leak shows.
• Old joints. Older systems, particularly gravity-fed ones, can have solder joints that have only ever seen gentle flow. The faster flow of a flush can show up a joint that was already close to failing. This is more common on systems 20 to 30 years old or more.

Before we start, we inspect the system and set the flow and pressure to suit its age and type. If anything concerns us, we talk it through with you first. If a leak does appear, we can usually repair it there and then, or give you a price for the work. Finding a weak joint during a planned visit is far better than finding it through your ceiling later.

What to expect on the day

• Your heating is off while we work. In most cases it is back on by the evening. Whether you keep hot water depends on your system type.
• We connect at the pump or the filter. Where that access is awkward, we connect at a radiator instead to keep disruption down.
• We check for leaks and balance the system before we leave, so every radiator gets its share of the heat.

What a powerflush will not fix

A flush clears the problems caused by sludge and debris: cold spots, noisy running and wasted heat. It will not fix a component that has already failed, such as a broken pump or a faulty radiator valve. If we find one, we tell you and price the repair separately. Our guide to how a powerflush works covers the process in more depth.