Power Flushing in Cuxton

Why Hard Water Makes Power Flushing Essential in Cuxton

All central heating systems produce some degree of internal contamination over time. Iron oxide forms as radiator steel corrodes, and dissolved gases in the heating water accelerate this process. In areas with soft water, this happens relatively slowly. In Cuxton, where the water supply is hard, the problem is compounded by limescale.

Limescale is a chalky deposit of calcium carbonate that forms when hard water is heated. Inside your boiler's heat exchanger, limescale builds up on the metal surfaces, creating an insulating layer that prevents the heat from the burner reaching the water efficiently. The boiler compensates by running longer and consuming more gas. Inside your pipes, limescale reduces the internal diameter, restricting water flow and causing uneven heating.

Combined with magnetite sludge, limescale turns a once-efficient heating system into one that wastes energy, heats slowly, and places unnecessary strain on the boiler. A power flush removes both types of contamination using high-flow cleaning chemicals that dissolve the scale and flush out the sludge.

Indicators Your System Is Contaminated

• Radiators with cold areas, particularly at the bottom
• Individual radiators that barely heat up
• Boiler kettling — a loud banging or rumbling during operation
• House takes much longer to reach thermostat temperature
• Dark, dirty water when you bleed radiators
• Boiler pressure dropping regularly

Cuxton Housing and Heating System Characteristics

Cuxton's village character means the properties tend to be more varied in age and type than in the larger Medway towns. The older cottages and houses near St Michael's Church and along the High Street may have heating systems that were retrofitted into buildings never designed for central heating. These installations often feature complex pipe runs that follow the quirks of the building's structure, creating pockets where sludge accumulates.

The inter-war and post-war housing along Bush Road and Rochester Road features more conventional heating layouts, but these systems are 50 to 70 years old in some cases. Even where boilers have been replaced, the original radiators and pipework remain, filled with decades of accumulated debris.

The newer housing toward the edges of the village, built during the 1970s and 1980s, has purpose-built heating systems that are now 35 to 45 years old — firmly in the zone where sludge build-up becomes a significant issue.

It is worth noting that some properties in the more rural parts of Cuxton may be on oil heating rather than mains gas. Power flushing applies to the central heating circuit regardless of fuel type, but our Gas Safe registration covers gas appliances specifically. If you have an oil-fired system, we can still flush the radiator circuit.