With the hottest day in May ever recorded in Britain being measured up the road in Kew, it is fair to say that nobody in south London, or anywhere else in Britain for that matter, has been turning on their central heating. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely.
Since summer has not even officially started yet (irrespective of whether one uses the meteorological or astronomical definition), it is fair to say you won’t be using the heating for the next few months either. But you do need to be prepared.
It is easy to be complacent when the sun is beating down and you can’t wait to get outdoors, but it won’t be too long before some looming problems test the performance of your heating and threaten to hammer your bank balance:
- The end of summer will bring cooler weather
- The impact of the Iran war on energy bills will kick in once the present energy price cap expires in July
- The financial impact of more expensive energy will be greater in homes where energy systems are less efficient
This coming threat means now is a good time to act to ensure greater efficiency in your energy systems.
What Is A Power Flush?
People often think about giving their gas boiler a service, but another thing you can do is get a power flush. This involves getting the pipes in your central heating system cleaned out to remove sludge, metal particles and any other debris that can block pipes and cause rust.
Furthermore, the flow of hot water through pipes can be reduced by factors such as the build-up of limescale in hard water areas, which certainly applies here in London.
This makes the whole task a big job, something much more substantial than just bleeding a radiator.
Why Is A DIY Job A Bad Idea?
Some will advise you to try to do it yourself. Of course, a DIY job may, in theory, save money, but the key thing is that, with the best will in the world, not everyone has the skills to do it, not to mention the time.
In addition, if you do not have expertise in this area, can you actually be sure you have done a thorough job? Might you have simply moved the sludge along the pipe somewhere so that it still causes a problem?
The question of whether you need to have this done in the first place may be easier to answer. The following signs can indicate that a power flush is needed:
- Boiler noises that gradually get worse
- Pinholes appearing in radiators
- Radiators being cold at the bottom
- Worn pumps and valves
Naturally, this will not be showing up now, when you are not using central heating and only use the boiler for hot water, but if such signs did occur in the early part of the year, this is a sign that a power flush is needed.
With our skilled, professional staff, we can make sure the job is done properly, cleaning all the sludge out of the pipes so that everything flows smoothly, the heating is consistent, the energy transfer is efficient and you don’t end up with corroded, fragile pipes.
This is why it makes sense to bring the experts in. A DIY job is an attempt to save money that frequently backfires, because if it is not done properly, you lose the benefits of cheaper bills and a heating system that lasts longer before components like pipes need replacing.
Indeed, even advocates of DIY flushing will still advise that you get your boiler serviced every year, so why not kill two birds with one stone?
Why Get The Power Flush Done Now?
Getting it done now makes sense for several reasons:
- The engineers will be available more often to find a mutually convenient time, as they won’t be busy dealing with lots of emergency call-outs, unlike in winter
- You won’t feel cold while your heating system is switched off, as the work is done
- Everything will be completed in good time before the colder weather comes around
Your energy costs will certainly go up from later this summer and even more so in the autumn as it gets darker and colder. How bad the situation is and how long it lasts depends on events beyond your control, often in conflict zones thousands of miles away.
However, as long as your home energy efficiency is something that you can improve by bringing in skilled workers to service, clean and flush out your systems, you can take some steps of your own to help keep costs down and soften the impact of an energy shock.