Impluse Novice Purchase - Did I Buy The Right/Best Filter?

[Bazzy]

Hi All,

We have a older Version Worcester Bosch 35CDi Boiler (probably for about 15+ years). We have never had any protection on it & Bosch usually come round every year to either put new parts or service it.

Limescale is a major problem for us in NW London & everything scales up pretty badly & quickly.

I had been looking at a number of Magnetic Filters & my list of considerations were:

1. Fernox TF1 Omega
2. Fernox TF1
3. Sentinel Vortex 300
4. Magnaclean Professional 2
5. Trappex Centramag 2
6. Inta Intaclean 2
7. Altenic Dirtmag IQ
8. Mid-Brass Mag Tek.

I was put of the Magnaclean Pro 2 as it could not swivel & for some reason, I really liked the Sentinel 300 Vortex as it is the latest model with supposedly new tech that really delivers the goods but I could find no reviews on it & as a novice, I do get swayed by the marketing hype & bold claims all the brands make these days.

It got so silly, that I was even at one point basing my final choices purely on external looks (they all seem pretty similar externally anyway) but I have no idea which actually perform better!

I watched a bunch of YouTube Videos & there was a Plumber who was very enthusiastic indeed about the Fernox TF1 Omega & stated that this is the only model he fits anymore which I took note of. The online reviews seemed very glowing as well with many saying the same thing.

So, on a pure whim & without checking if it might be suitable for our boiler & system, I did a silly thing & made an impulse purchase of the TF1 Omega with 22mm Valves.

Is it really as good as the hype or are there other models better for my system - how would it compare to the new Sentinal Vortex 300 for example? It's just that to me & from the online pics, the TF1 Omega seems a bit on the small side compared to the others so I wonder if it is strong or as powerful as the others?

I also saw that there were some "mini/smaller" versions of some of these models but I assumed they would not perform as well as the regular sized ones - is this true or did I make the wrong assumption?

If I made the wrong choice or should have got another better suited model for my system - please kindly let me know!

Very Many Thanks!
Bazzy!

 

[king of pipes]

Not a bad choice Bazzy I have one on my own boiler a well made compact unit I either fit these or adey products so i hope your mind is at ease, as for limescale these units do not protect your boiler from limescale get one of these a Hydroflow hs38 electronic scale reducer simple to fit and do work. A little thing I noticed those strainers on the boiler flow and return are fitted wrong they cannot collect any debris fitted like that my advice get them removed when the mag filter is fitted. Cheers kop

 

[ShaunCorbs]

May I ask why it needs to swivel?

 

[Bazzy]

Not a bad choice Bazzy I have one on my own boiler a well made compact unit I either fit these or adey products so i hope your mind is at ease, as for limescale these units do not protect your boiler from limescale get one of these a Hydroflow hs38 electronic scale reducer simple to fit and do work. Cheers kop

Hi Kop!

Awesome of you to put my mind at rest & as you also have one it gives me the validation I need - if there was anything much better then I guess you would have installed that instead!

Kop, may I ask, I understand these filters catch the magnetic crud but Fernox also claim that this Omega version also catches the non magnetic crud as well (which is why it appealed to me!) - is that true or is it just marketing blurb?

If it really does not catch the non magnetic crud effectively, is there any other product that does?

Ironically, I was also looking at those electrolytic limescale reducers that attach to the pipes & see that respected companies like Fernox. Sentinel, Calmag make them as well but have read very conflicting info about them - they seem very reasonable priced - there are electrolytic or magnetic ones & can be had for only about £20-£30 each but am really not sure if they work or a waste of time?

I will also look into this Hydroflow hs38 electronic scale reducer you mentioned!

Major Thanks for mentioning that those strainer things are fitted incorrectly - been that way for about 15+ years! Is it not amazing that:

1) They were not fitted correctly in the first place

2) In over 15 years of having the Boiler serviced - at least once year & sometimes more & many new parts added that not one of the Worcester Bosch Engineers ever noticed or mentioned this flaw?!

Many Kind Thanks!
Bazzy!

 

[SimonG]

Trappex one for me.

 

[Bazzy]

May I ask why it needs to swivel?

Hi!

Thanks for asking - this may make you laugh but since I have no knowledge of these things - I just thought it might be better to get one that allows full movement rather than be solidly fixed in one place -just in case things change/happen in future & to possibly have to option (rather than not!) to be able to adjust it's position if ever needed to do so!

Being super anal I guess to compensate for lack of knowledge!

Many Thanks,
Bazzy!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Hi!

Thanks for asking - this may make you laugh but since I have no knowledge of these things - I just thought it might be better to get one that allows full movement rather than be solidly fixed in one place -just in case things change/happen in future & to possibly have to option (rather than not!) to be able to adjust it's position if ever needed to do so!

Being super anal I guess to compensate for lack of knowledge!

Many Thanks,
Bazzy!

Was just curious but good thinking omega takes my vote

 

[king of pipes]

Omega filter is all you need on the heating , as i said before Hydroflow is a better choice , the others work to a degree but not so well . Cheers kop

 

[Riley]

I still like a pro 2 never had any complaints

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Omega filter is all you need on the heating , as i said before Hydroflow is a better choice , the others work to a degree but not so well . Cheers kop

View attachment 34954

Hydroflow | Limescale Remover | Dyno Plumbing

?? that one

 

[shocking mod]

People do have preferences with different filters, but it is more important that a system cleaner is used and flushed once a year and hit the bottom of each radiator with a dead blow hammer.

 

[king of pipes]

People do have preferences with different filters, but it is more important that a system cleaner is used and flushed once a year and hit the bottom of each radiator with a dead blow hammer.

not really the full story here bud welcome to the site but please don't miss lead people , true a system cleaner should be used ,the bottom of the radiators can be agitated with a nylon attachment which fits into a sds drill but I would only do this if using the magnaclense system and a adey magnaclean pro 2 fitted , i would isolate the boiler from the system connect a flushing unit to push the chemically treated water round , then drained and flushed treated with a good quality inhibitor filled vented and heat tested , the system only needs draining every 5 years it may need topping up with inhibitor at the service interval from time to time . Cheers kop

 

[fezster]

One of the reasons I chose the Omega is there is no need to remove the magnet or isolate the valves either side of it. It can simply be flushed out in-situ.

My previous experience with a BoilerMag was that the valves supplied with magnetic filters should be touched as little as possible, as they inevitably start to leak. Getting the magnet back in and tightened with no leaks also gets harder over time.

So went with a design which does away with both - although perhaps at the expense of how much magnetite and debris it collects.