Advice needed on best boiler Filter and tepid hot water

[Bob99]

Hi all,

I apologise for asking this as I imagine you guys get asked this all the time but as I am a single parent dad I just cannot afford to purchase the wrong one.

Been going round in circles a bit trying to decide on what magnet filter to buy, I would like one to collect sludge and non metal dirt if possible, my list so far is:

MagnaClean Pro 2
MagnaClean Twin Tech
Spirotech MB3
Trappex Centramag 2

We also plan on fitting a Sentinel Sesi as we live in a hard water area, Are these worth it?

We are doing this as our Glow Worm flexicom 30cx is having a few issues, the radiators all heat up fine but I do hear the boiler flicking on and off a lot when heating ( not sure if that is normal ) and the hot water is a nightmare.

If you open the hot tap fully you just get tepid water, you have to back it right off to get piping hot water and again the boiler is flicking on and off. So I would imagine the plate exchanger has sludge or scale in it.

My dad who is good with the plumbing side of things is going to help me install the filters and drain down, we planned on putting in DS40 Cleaner but how long should this stay in the system? as we were going to fit it all on Saturday and drain down again on the Sunday, is that long enough or too long?

Sadly for the plate heat exchanger I imagine that is only a job that a gas safe/qualified plumber can remove and clean or flush in place?

Sorry for the long post but thank you to anyone that can offer me advice on this.

 

[SimonG]

Trappex for me.

 

[Scott_D]

Magnaclean or Fernox omega

 

[Aire]

Magna clean pro 2 for me, although if you have alot of plastic pipework on your heating then go for the twin tech.

The tepid hot water could simply be you opening the tap too much. Your boiler will give you just over 12 litres a minute at a 35° rise so if your trying to push 20 litres a minute through it then it's only going to be warm, but your boiler flicking off does point to a blocked plate but that will require an engineer to put right. Personally I wouldn't bother with ds40. Drain the system, take your rads off and flush them through with a hose then put a bottle of x400 in and run it for a week.

The sentinel sesi I'm not convinced whether they work or not, there isn't any scientific evidence to back up what they claim. If they did 100% work then boiler manufacturers would make them a requirement and not just a recommendation.

 

[Darren Jackson]

Another vote for the Magna-clean pro from me and I really like to use Sentinel x400 leave it in for at least 2 days, but the longer the better up to a max of 3 week. Then drain down, flush, fill up & drain down one more time. Finally fill up and add Sentinel x100 inhibitor for long term protection.

 

[Bob99]

Thanks for all the replies guys, will go for the Magna-Clean pro 2 and x400, just a shame that there is no practical way to get the x400 into the plate exchanger without the need to remove it or fit some kind of loop.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Thanks for all the replies guys, will go for the Magna-Clean pro 2 and x400, just a shame that there is no practical way to get the x400 into the plate exchanger without the need to remove it or fit some kind of loop.

A magna only collects magnetic particals (doesn’t it?)

 

[Bob99]

A magna only collects magnetic particals (doesn’t it?)

Damn you Harvest Fields, you have now made me change my mind again would the MagnaClean twin tech catch both or is that only good for underfloor heating?

 

[Harvest Fields]

Twintech isn’t my favourite, but it will do what you want. I would fit an Adey pro 2 but that is only magnetic

 

[Bob99]

Would you say the filters that catch non magnectic contamination are gimmicky or do they actually play an important part?

 

[Harvest Fields]

I suppose they have there place. But I like to see what has been collected.

 

[Aire]

A magna only collects magnetic particals (doesn’t it?)

No It collects non metallic particles too, when you take the sleeve out to clean it, the bottom cap clips off and you clean that section out too.

 

[Harvest Fields]

No It collects non metallic particles too, when you take the sleeve out to clean it, the bottom cap clips off and you clean that section out too.

Surely that depends on the magna?

 

[Aire]

You unclip this bit

The zone at the top of the filter is also designed to capture larger non metallic particles

 

[Harvest Fields]

Well I didn’t know that. Hence the question mark earlier

 

[Aire]

Well I didn’t know that. Hence the question mark earlier

I didn't either until I saw PB plumbing on YouTube doing it

 

[Bob99]

Thanks again guys, Is there a shop to buy all the kit from that helps the forum? Don't want to be one of those people that asks for advice and gives nothing back.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Do not think so mate. I would recommend that you shop around.

 

[Ric2013]

Hmm. I'm assuming that the majority of scale on a plate heat exchanger is on the secondary side? As such, would it be legal and practical to turn the boiler off, connect a small pump e.g. a pond pump to the boiler cold inlet and then run what would be the hot outlet back into the bucket. The bucket would be full of warm descaling solution?

Could be left running overnight.

Might this work? Obviously too much of a faff for a pro, but if the OP has more time than money...