We therefore need a word to replace the word power. We have exhausted our store of synonyms.

One manufacturer has coined and well publicised the expression Jet-Flush which is quite useful. Best of luck to them. Kamco Limited have advertising copy dating back almost a decade, which uses the powerflush expression, in various forms. Our stock of leading trade magazines dating long before British Gas first applied for their trademark also confirms the widespread use of the expression powerflush.

The bottom line is that everyone and his dog has adopted the expression powerflush as the generic term for a long time. Regardless of your views on powerflushing, everyone knows what it means. That is the application of mechanical advantage to cleaning heating systems (and other related processes). It is a clear distinction from gravity flushing, which as we all know, is not always practicable.

The expression powerflush is well established as the byword in the gas, plumbing and central heating industry, throughout the United Kingdom.

Ironically we’ve all been bombarded with the expression by a host of agencies over recent years, in favour of Benchmark and other standards. Growth in the powerflushing sector has been significant. Our research on the web to find people using the expression surprised us. We were stunned by the large number and quality of websites.

Various editorials and articles have implored Installers to move with the times and adopt new technology in various forms, including powerflushing. Many including us have done just that. Our letter heading offers powerflushing as a service. You may therefore infer that we powerflush and use the word powerflush, as we have done for several years. Can anyone tell us what to write instead on our letter heading.

We believe British Gas have recognised the trading potential for ‘owning’ the expression powerflush, to the detriment of everyone else. Why else would they have registered the expression ?

That said, Kamco Limited beat them to it and registered two domain names, www.powerflush.co.uk and www.powerflush.com almost two years before British Gas first applied for their trademark. Nothing unfair about that. Anyone of us were free to do that, including British Gas.

Revocation of the trade mark is now but a formality, albeit an expensive one for us. Regardless of the ‘Absolute’ and ‘Relative’ grounds for revocation, there exists in our view a threat to fair competition. Many members of the public are learning the expression powerflushing as that becomes increasingly prominent. Many we have met understand the distinction between that and gravity cleaning.

Ironically as someone recently pointed out to me, the British Gas website claims that “Powerflush™ sends a special cleaning solution through your central heating system under high pressure … “. As far as any of us are aware high pressure is never used. Try fitting a pressure gauge to your powerflushing machine. We may in due course refer that to the Advertising Standards Authority.

Editor's note 2007 - This matter subsequently became a major scandal and Gas-News spearheaded the campaign to force BG to surrender the trade mark.