Experts reveal how to tell if your heating system needs a power flush and what you should do about it before it gets cold

A blue hallway painted in Farrow & Ball's Inchura Blue with a black radiator and graphic tiled floor.

Now that the weather is turning, you might be considering turning on the heating for the first time in a while. If you do turn it on and notice your home isn't heating up as it should, even with the heating cranked up to the max, your system could be trying to tell you something.

Central heating systems don't just wear out overnight. They gradually fill with rust, sludge and limescale that build up over the years. The gunk circulates through your radiators and pipes, blocking water flow, creating cold spots, and making your boiler work overtime. And the result is a home that never gets cosy, heating bills creep up, and your boiler is put under unnecessary strain.