Blocked Central Heating System Problems & Cures

Have you got a blocked central heating system and unsure on what needs to be done? Are you looking for a cure but hoping to save as much money as possible before diving in and getting hold of an emergency plumber or gas engineer, then have a read of this article before making up your mind. Here we have all the most common questions answered as possible when it comes to the blocked central heating system by Martin Smith. Many years ago having a blockage in the central heating system when they first started having 8 and 10mm pipe installed was very common, even though there is new technology and ways to prevent this, we still find ourself’s getting a blockage in our central heating.

17 Common questions to why we get a blockage in our central heating

• What is a blocked central heating pipe?
• My radiator isn’t warming up, do I have a blockage in my pipes?
• Can draining the central heating system get rid of a blocked pipe?
• Will getting a central heating power flush get rid of my blockage?
• Most of my central heating system isn’t heating up, could it be a blockage?
• What is the cause of the blocked central heating system?
• If the central heating system takes too long to heat up, could this be a partial blockage?
• How can I find a blocked central heating pipe?
• Can a blocked central heating system be an airlock?
• How long does it take to get a blockage out of my central heating system?
• Can over soldering cause a blockage in the central heating system?
• How can I prevent my central heating system from getting a blockage in the future?
• By using central heating cleaner, can this help to get rid of a blockage?
• Can I get rid of a blockage in my central heating by using high pressure water?
• How much does it cost to get a blockage out of my central heating system?
• I have a blocked central heating radiator, what is the solution?
• Is it more common to get a blockage in plastic pipe or copper of the central heating system?
• Who do I call if I have a blocked central heating pipe?

What is a blocked central heating pipe

A blocked central heating pipe is a blockage that has something solid in it or it can also be a central heating airlock in some cases. We class a blockage as a solid rather than air in the system. In most cases a blockage is due to a build up of sludge going hard over time and can sometimes be other types of solids such as a cutting from the central heating tank foam accidentally falling into the pipe work. It has also been know for living creatures such as rats to get into the central heating which is not heard off. In some cases, when a customer has an open central heating tank in the loft and something falls inside and goes down the pipe that is solid, this can also cause a blockage.

My radiator isn’t warming up, do I have a blockage in my pipes

If you have a radiator that isn’t warming up, this does not automatically mean that you have a blockage in the central heating system, however there is a possibility and this should not be ruled out. The most common reason why the radiator won’t heat up is either the fault thermostatic radiator valve or there is an airlock in the central heating system. To know if the blocked central heating pipe is a blockage and not an airlock, you can draw the central heating water up each pipe until the central heating radiator and both pipes get warm, if you hear the air coming out then it isn’t a blockage but if there is no draw from the pipe at all, then it is a blockage, if there is some draw from the central heating pipes, then you could have a partial blockage. Maybe you have a blocked central heating radiator (Please see paragraph below for blocked radiators in the central heating system).

Can draining the central heating system get rid of a blocked pipe

If you get rid of a blocked central heating pipe in the central heating system by draining your central heating, then you will be very lucky, however, it is most likely because the blockage is made up of air and not sludge.

Will getting a central heating power flush get rid of my blockage

Having a central heating power flush does not get rid of a blockage in most case, however if it is a partial blockage, depending on how solid it is, then there is a good chance the blockage will make its way out.

Most of my central heating system isn’t heating up, could it be a blockage

If your central heating system isn’t heating up, then there could be plenty of reason for this but doesn’t mean you have a blockage. Only when you have taken every option to find out why your central heating system isn’t working, then you could start to check if you have a blockage (PLEASE SEE: ‘Why is my central heating not working’.

What is the cause of the blocked central heating system

The most likely cause of a blocked central heating system is that you have that much sludge, you have allowed it to build up causing a blockage.

If the central heating system takes too long to heat up, could this be a partial blockage

If your central heating system is taking too long to heat up, then this can be due to a partial blockage but a partial airlock as to be ruled out and other partial reasons.

How can I find a blocked central heating pipe

Finding a blocked central heating pipe is like finding a needle in a haystack. It doesn’t mean it can be found immediately, but it can take a long time and could either be found very quickly or too long. If you have plenty of hidden pipes that you are unable to get too, then the blockage can be that stubborn to find, you may not find it at all resulting in a complete relay of central heating pipes. The most easy blockage to find is in a bungalow and only if the pipes run in the attic and not underneath.

Can a blocked central heating system be an airlock

A blocked central heating system can be an airlock, most of the time if you get air in the central heating system, but as it is an airlock, we don’t refer to this as a solid airlock which can easily be resolved if not stubborn.

How long does it take to get a blockage out of my central heating system

On average to get a blockage out of the central heating system it can take about 5-hours. With some it can take 1 to 2-hours or in the worse situation, you have to relay the complete new central heating pipes.

Can over soldering cause a blockage in the central heating system

If your inexperienced with soldering and find yourself putting much more than required on, then this can cause a central heating blockage and is more common when using 8 or 10mm pipe. Having solder in the central heating system on the joints tends to cause the worst in blockages as the solder turns to a metal substance.

How can I prevent my central heating system from getting a blockage in the future

To prevent you central heating system from getting blocked in the future, you may require a central heating power flush to get rid of any central heating sludge and to prevent the sludge from coming back you will need a central heating filter fitted. If you have a system boiler, a central heating tank in the attic, then you will need to make sure that it is fitted up to standard, stopping anything from entering the plumbing.

By using central heating cleaner, can this help to get rid of a blockage

You can buy central heating cleaner and the cleaner will work against any sludge helping you to get rid of the dirty water, but when it comes to blockage, this will not help.

Can I get rid of a blockage in my central heating by using high pressure water

By using high pressure water, you should be able to get rid of a central heating blockage, but you will need to be aware that the higher the water pressure is, the most than likely you could be causing further central heating problems for example you should never go above 3-bars of pressure. A central heating normally runs between 1 and 2-bars and by introducing a higher water pressure, you may be able to get rid of some blockages but most likely not.

How much does it cost to get a blockage out of my central heating system

When trying to get a blockage from out of the central heating system, the minimum it will cost is 2-hours of the engineers rate, as getting a blockage out of the central heating system can not be measured, the time working on this type of job will be unable to be measured.

I have a blocked central heating radiator, what is the solution

If you have a blocked central heating radiator and maybe your radiator is getting slightly warm at the top, then this is more of an easy job to do rather than having a blocked central heating pipe. The solution to getting rid of the blockage in the radiator is to take the radiator off the wall and connect the mains water via a hosepipe in a safe area. Most people to this in there garden. The only problem with this technique sometimes is that the stubborn blockages may not come out. To get a stubborn blockage out of the radiator please see article ‘Central Heating Sludge Problems & Cures‘

Is it more common to get a blockage in plastic pipe or copper of the central heating system

Having copper is great when it comes to the size of the pipe and any restrictions involved but as copper is a corrosive material, it does have it’s down fall as the corrosive metal in the copper finds it easier to stick to copper. Even though plastic is a non corrosive material, the down fall to a plastic pipe central heating system is that, each joint will restrict the flow for example: A 10mm pipe will be restricted to about 6mm due to the plastic inserts where a 10mm copper pipe will be restricted to about 9mm unless your joint is cut with a hacksaw and not pipe slicers and the person soldering the joint is not over soldering.

Who do I call if I have a blocked central heating pipe

If you have a blocked central heating system and you don’t know who to call, then please give us a call on the above number and we will make you an urgent booking if you need to. If you have dirty water as well as a central heating blockage, we also advice you to get a central heating power flush.

Useful comments from fellow engineers experiencing a blocked central heating pipe and there stories

So blocked that mains wouldn’t push it out. I used a compressor in conjunction with mains water to eventually push it out of an open end. It was like grit with sludge holding it together like glue.

Old B gas guarenteed warmth system used to block solid on the hot rod return and i mean “solid” right where the cold feed was teed in. We just cut it out, Pieced it together and teed the cold feed into the open vent, then we started using a close coupled system with the cold feed and open vent teed in before the pump on the flow from the boiler.

Conventional system blocked on a 22mm x 15 mm tee blocked in a airing cupboard had to cut it out also had are central heating pumps fitted the wrong way.

If you are an engineer with plenty of experience when it comes to blocked central heating systems and would like to join us, then please feel free to visit the plumbing register.