The Best Compact Power Flush Machine For The Money
If you’re looking to expand your plumbing services, power flushing sludge from central heating systems is a great way to go. Below, we’ll discuss whether you actually need to buy a power flush machine, recommend the best model for the money, and explain why we picked it.
Do You Need to Buy a Power Flush Machine?
First up, let’s decide if you need to buy a central heating power flush machine, or if hiring one is a better option.
A power flushing machine is a sizeable investment. You’ll need to spend anywhere from £500 for a compact unit, and up to £1,500 for some of the larger machines on the market.
So, you need to ask yourself how many power flushes per year do you expect to complete. If you only expect to do 1 or 2 jobs per year, it might be worth hiring a machine instead.
Doing more than that? Investing in a new power flushing machine is the way to go.
Power Flush Hire Costs
Power flushing as a service is reasonably profitable, so you should be able to build in the cost to hire a machine. If you’re planning on hiring rather than buying, get down to your local hire shop and check prices.
Typically, we’d expect to pay £50-75 per day, including VAT, for a central heating power flush hire.
Best Power Flush Machine Brands
Each engineer tends to swear by a certain brand, just like with any other plumbing or heating tool. However, if you stick to the following well-known brands, you won’t be going too far wrong:
- ADEY
- Kamco
- Fernox
- Anton
- Norstrom
The question is, which one is the best?
MagnaCleanse: Best Power Flush Machine
For a truly thorough flush, we recommend an immensely popular central heating power flush machine — the MagnaCleanse, produced by the reputable heating brand, ADEY.
Below we’ll cover how a MagnaCleanse system flush works, and why we think it’s the best power flush machine on the market today.
How the MagnaCleanse System Flush Works
There are bigger and more powerful machines out there, like Kamco CF40 and Kamco CF90. Likewise, a Norstrom powerflush is strong enough for systems of up to 40 radiators over 3 storeys.
But the problem is, it’s never a good idea to over pressurise an old system, for the sake of a quick clean. Excessive pressure will subject an older system to intense stress and may cause it to develop leaks, which is never a good thing…
Unlike Kamco CF40, Kamco CF90, and Norstrom Proflush, the MagnaCleanse doesn’t have a built-in pump, meaning it doesn’t build-up pressure in old heating pipes. This means that opting for MagnaCleanse reduces the chance of leaks when compared with more powerful flushing machines.
Now, you’ll need a working boiler with a solid central heating pump in order for the MagnaCleanse to do its job correctly. But it’ll get the job done!
Check out this video from Plumber Parts, showing how it works, and how to use it:
Low Running Costs
You won’t need to budget much for a MagnaCleanse system flush — all you need to do is dose the heating system with Adey’s Rapid Flush MC5, which won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
Low Price
As we mentioned above, one of the main reasons not to buy a power flushing machine is the cost. If you’re only flushing systems a few times a year for your customers, investing £1,000 or more in a machine makes little sense.
The better option would be to rent a machine from your local hire shop at around £50-75, per day including VAT.
Convinced a purchase is the right route forward? Price is where the MagnaCleanse beats its competitors, hands down.
You’ll be able to pick up a MagnaCleanse flushing machine for around £500 rather than £1,500!
Compact Size
You’ll notice that traditional power flush machines are normally:
- Bulky
- On wheels
Neither of those things makes them easy to move around or to stash safely in your van. Essentially, you’ll need to strap it down to keep it safe when moving from job to job.
The MagnaCleanse, on the other hand, small, and it’s boxed — as compact as it gets. And that means it’s easy to move from the job to your van, secure in your van, and remove when you get home. We like that!
Lightweight
As we’ve mentioned, traditional power flushing machines are bulky; up to 30kg in some cases.
The MagnaCleanse from Adey weighs in at just 17kg. So, it’s not just compact, it’s lightweight too!
Quick & Easy To Use
Time is money, and that’s something Adey has recognised. So, you won’t be wasting 4 hours, or more, using a typical power flushing machine.
Instead, you’ll be completing your flushing jobs in around half that time. Time saved means you can book more jobs, give customers a better price than the average engineer, but still bank more per day than usual; win-win-win.
MagnaCleanse Power Flush Machine Summary
It’s lightweight, compact, and is over half the price when compared to many other machines on the market.
It doesn’t put unnecessary pressure on a heating system (meaning less chance of leaks), and you’ll have jobs completed in around 2 hours, meaning you’ll be able to complete more power flushing jobs per day than with a traditional machine.
And combined, that’s why we think the MagnaCleanse is the best power flush machine to buy.
What You’ll Need Alongside the MagnaCleanse Power Flush Machine
Now you’ve purchased your power flush machine, you’ll need to think about what else you’ll need to get the job done.
As we mentioned above, you’ll need a heating system cleaner to run your power flush. Adey have produced a specific cleaner to help make the flushing process as quick as possible — the Rapid Flush MC5. Plus, you’ll need an inhibitor like the MC1 to dose the system afterward.
If your customer hasn’t got them fitted already, we’d suggest a magnetic filter, and further protection, like a scale reducer for those in hard water areas.
What’s Next?
Thanks for reading our guide to power flush machines.
Got questions? Or, want to share your experience with a MagnaClease (or another power flush machine from that matter)?
Drop us a line via our contact page, we’d love to hear from you!