Ivor Bates asked:


A broken down boiler or noisy radiators that need regular bleeding usually indicate that your central heating system needs a good clean.

Before the winter sets in it is even more important to make sure your heating system is in full working order so that it serves you well over the colder months.

Making sure the system is serviced by a qualified professional is vital and this should be arranged well in advance of the winter season because plumbing and heating professionals are usually inundated with work during that time and the wait for repairs or new installations can be a long one.

But you should not wait for your annual service; if you notice any problem signs with your heating system then get in touch with your plumber immediately. Quite often the system will quite simply need cleaning and if so, your engineer will probably suggest a Power Flush.

What is Power Flushing?

Power Flushing is a powerful technique for cleaning central heating systems. It can improve heating system performance by flushing out sludge and scale, optimising the heat output of radiators and promoting energy efficiency.

Power flushing can solve heating problems and prevent boiler and pump failure and can even provide lower fuel bills due to an increase in boiler efficiency. This is because the action of power flushing improves the circulation through the pipe work so the radiators and boiler do not have to work so hard.

Who should I choose for my Power Flush?

Choosing a good heating engineer to carry out your power flushing job is very important because a skilled approach and lots of experience is needed to maximise the efficiency of the job. You will find that the longer-established companies will employ methodical techniques to isolate and concentrate on problem areas so that you are left with an optimised central heating system that won’t let you down during the cold winter months.

When hiring a plumber to carry out Power Flushing work on your heating system make sure that their work is fully guaranteed for a year and that you will receive a certificate confirming that pH levels and cleanliness within your system correspond with industry standards.

Power Flushing for new Heating Systems

If you are having a new heating system installed then you should be aware that most boiler manufacturers will not guarantee any new boiler if the system is not chemically cleaned. The British Standards and the Benchmark demand thorough cleaning of the heating system, and Power Flushing is the favoured method.

 Why Power Flush for winter?

Power Flushing is a powerful method used to clean heating systems. It can improve efficiency and give you peace of mind that your winter warmth won’t be jeopardised. It can also save you money on fuel bills!



Jessie

Paul Short asked:


Few things are more pleasing than waking up on a cold winter morning and putting your feet down on a perfectly warmed floor. In fact, a warm floor for your feet is often even more satisfying than heating the air in your house. After all, most people understand how to dress properly during the colder months. But a cold floor can just ruin everything, no matter how well you are dressed.

Unfortunately, the traditional way of heating a home is to heat the air, which of course does not stay warm for very long if the walls and the floor are still cold. And in many places unfortunate enough to have stone or tile floors placed atop a bed of solid concrete with no hint of insulation, the floor is always cold.

The solution is to either continuously heat the air in your home, leading to exhorbitant electric and gas bills, or to turn to electric underfloor heating.

Electric underfloor heating is a fairly new technique that consists of installing electric under floor heating cables made of copper. The cables are attached to electric underfloor mats that provide a great deal of flexibility making them suitable for rooms of any shape and size.

Combining the electric underfloor mats with thermal insulation boards will at the same time provide the pleasant aforementioned experience and trap the generated heat, thereby warming the entire house while cutting down on energy costs.

To really understand the benefits of electric underfloor heating, consider the way most homes are now heated. A large gas-powered boiler pumps hot water to wall-mounted radiators situated in each room. Those radiators heat the surrounding air very slowly and unevenly. You set a certain temperature, but that temperature is only ever reached right next to the radiator.

Furthermore, the radiators themselves take up much needed wall space and are often unsightly.

In newer homes, radiators have largely been replaced by central heating and air conditioning units, which have their own disadvantages. A central heating and air conditioning unit will manage to heat more of the air in a house than will wall-mounted radiators, but the warmest areas will continue to be right around the source of heat, in this case the air vents. These units also create a large amount of dust that is blown into the house along with the heat.

Last but certainly not least, central heating and air conditioning units add to the energy costs of traditional radiators by requiring electric-powered fans.

Contrast all that to the primary benefits of electric underfloor heating:

1. Electric underfloor mats are fitted to each individual room, ensuring an even distribution of heat;

2. Electric underfloor heating combined with thermal insulation is able to heat an area quickly, requiring the system to be turned on for a minimum amount of time;

3. Electric underfloor heating is invisible and does not take up any living space;

4. Electric underfloor heating does not create dust or any other byproduct;

5. Electric underfloor heating reduces traditional heating energy costs by up to 15 percent.

Best of all, the electric under floor heating system can be installed in any house, new or old, with far less trouble than other temperature control systems. An electric under floor heating system can even be installed on your own, as it is roughly similar to laying wall-to-wall carpeting.

For those experiencing difficulties heating their homes, electric under floor heating is the solution and can lead to greater quality of life.



Keenan