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Discuss Central Heating Filter's - Experiences, thoughts, reflections, tips n' tricks. in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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This thread is aimed at exploring members experiences, thinking and reflections - in the area of choosing and servicing CH filters (Magnaclean, Fernox etc).

I think there are many people that need help in selecting a filter that is worth choosing over the long term, but I also hope to open the discussion more broadly to include:

tips n' tricks - shortcuts, observations, suggestions and reflections


-that will help others on this subject.

Personally - I have a Vaillant - EcoTECH Plus 837 protected by an early Magnaclean Twintech - which, after three separate service kits - continues to leak profoundly.

My sincere thanks to any that choose to contribute.

Leonardo.
 
If a system is installed correctly, flushed of debris and flux at the outset, it doesn't need a filter. I am of course speaking from my own experience in my part of the world.

If it is existing and requires one, I like the Fernox metal bodied one. Having said that in 30 years I have installed 3 that I can remember on domestic and maybe a few more on Commercial but that's different of course.
 
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Why don't they work? I put one of the first TF1s on an old boiler and it seemed to be picking up loads of rubbish. I can't imagine the new Fernox filters would be worse?
 
Why don't they work? I put one of the first TF1s on an old boiler and it seemed to be picking up loads of rubbish. I can't imagine the new Fernox filters would be worse?

Once I got on to the magnas I never moved back but TBH I tried all the spiro stuff , I have one on a very dirty system , I service it every year and it picks nothing up. Plenty of my pals say the same , may give a Fernox one a bash , but I doubt it .
 
If a system is installed correctly, flushed of debris and flux at the outset, it doesn't need a filter. I am of course speaking from my own experience in my part of the world.

If it is existing and requires one, I like the Fernox metal bodied one. Having said that in 30 years I have installed 3 that I can remember on domestic and maybe a few more on Commercial but that's different of course.

I would also like to include scenarios - where filters are being retrofitting to existing installations - or/and to systems where the boiler (only) is being replaced or renewed.
 
I put a Fernox Omega in a couple of months ago on an existing system. I'll have a look next time I'm at that house and see if it's picked up anything, now it's heating season.
 
I am a Magnaclean man simply because they work .
The spiros and a lot of the others are superb quality compared to the plastic Magnaclean but in my experience dont work .

The unique selling point that attracted me to the Magnaclean twintech - is that in addition to the magnetic filtration - the steel mesh acted as a filter for additional debris.

I'm not sure if the spiros deal with that extra debris well?
 
I thought the Spiros were primarily a filter and that the magnet was added after on the outside to please those who thought a filter wouldn't work without a magnet. That said, I don't really like the Spirotraps, I prefer Fernox filters. I think Magnacleans work but I would never fit another after the hash I made of installing one (in my own home) and the various leaks I've seen (though the one I fitted in my own home doesn't leak).
 
twintechs were rubbish sorry to say
 
The main good thing about magna's is that the pro is big enough for the inhibitor without having to drain anything else. But I prefer the metal ones less chance of a leak,
 
twintechs were rubbish sorry to say

Appreciate your candour. It's the only to weed out the wheat from the chaff.

Can i ask you to expand on this though - was it the technology, the concept, the results or the execution that you saw as poor?
 
I have fitted all the makes discussed above apart from the twin tec which are ugly and hard to conseal , to be honest the only ones i have had problems with is the old black Fernox TF1's they leak like a sieve and even after stipping , cleaning replacing the seals the only way to get them to seal is to apply silicone grease , i am fitting magna clean pro as my first choice filter if the space is available , saying that i have just installed the new Fernox omega TF1 all brass filter in my own home after replacing the boiler because it was compact enough to conseal and has a better magnet than say a spiro , different systems require carefull consideration before choosing and installing a mag filter , and nothing beats a chemical clean and a jet flush before the upgrade , do half a job and pay the price down the line . regards kop
 
If a system is installed correctly, flushed of debris and flux at the outset, it doesn't need a filter. I am of course speaking from my own experience in my part of the world.

If it is existing and requires one, I like the Fernox metal bodied one. Having said that in 30 years I have installed 3 that I can remember on domestic and maybe a few more on Commercial but that's different of course.
I am a magna man all day long. I like to show customers that the filter is doing its job. Also nowadays, if a boiler doesn't have a filter it voids the warranty
 
Can i ask you to expand on this though - was it the technology, the concept, the results or the execution that you saw as poor?

I know this was directed at Shaun, but here's my ha'p'orth on Magnaclean (not Twintech). 1. Installation. You need to use the supplied pulled bends to install (or make your own). You can't solder these on with the plastic Magnaclean attached to them so almost impossible to get the correct alinement and then you risk stripping the threads on the Maganclean itself. 2. Servicing - requires specialist tool to open lid, supplied with new Magnacleans but more than one size and customers lose them, no drain off so if non magnetic items are sitting in the bottom of the bottle, they stay there. Unless well greased from new, lids seize on. 4. Reliability - leaks on lid seal, leaks around vent. 5. Cost of spares - Adey wants to charge me around a tenner for a plastic spanner for the lid, and around ÂŁ12 for four new O rings, plus P+P (which seems steep when you consider the unit shouldn't be leaking in the first place).

The early plastic TF1 had a bottle that screwed onto the assembly that fitted to the pipework. You had to use different sized spacers depending on the angle of the bottle relative to the assembly and, in my experience, the presence of limescale showed trace leakage on an open vented system. Other have had this problem: no doubt it was worse on sealed systems. Later TF1s have a bottle that clips onto the pipework assembly instead of a screw-on design - hopefully these didn't leak?
 
Does anybody have any experience with the Sentinel Versions:

The marketing blurb looks very good - but I haven't seen many talking about them:

Eliminator | Sentinel

or

System Filter | Sentinel

Yep, got given a sentinel eliminator, threw it in the bin, useless weak magnets on it. Im not sure on that system filter though.

Magnaclean pro2 for me. Im interested in the omega though but if its the same magnet as the TF1 i will stick with Adey as thats a better stronger bigger magnet than the one in the TF1
 
Not willing to try a Sentinel filter myself. Did the Sentinel online training and thought it was a waste of my time and intelligence, not to mention it being no more than a marketing exercise for Sentinel in my opinion (e.g. apparently a high percentage of boiler callouts are on systems with poor water quality, thus implying without stating it that the water quality called the breakdown). Did ask them about the Eliminator though, and whether and why they thought it was better than the TF1 Omega. They never got back to me on that (or on any of the questions raised when reading their online 'training') and so I've never bothered trying Sentinel filters.
 
I used to fit adey magnacleans when they first came out. They were a pain to install, the valves supplied with them were cheap and leaked or cross threaded all the time. I then started fitting the spirotechs when they first came out. They were good but could have been better if they'd come with valves. Back to magnaclean mini's with another company I worked for a couple of years ago. They were much better quality now, the valves were better and took more pipe into the fitting. I personally like the TF1 compacts. They have a drain off, good magnet, compact and neat. I've started fitting the omega filters as well and they're well made.
 
Thought a filter was part of building regs thesedays?? I stick to magnaclean...last different filter i fitted...(calmag) blew off the threads and flooded through the ceiling. No damage to the filter unit!! Never will i stray away from my beloved magnaclean.
 
I personally like the magnaclean. But then for instants if installing a Worcester if you install there filter you get extra warranty. Correct me if I’m wrong.
 
I personally like the magnaclean. But then for instants if installing a Worcester if you install there filter you get extra warranty. Correct me if I’m wrong.

It's made by adey as well :)
 
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