Best magnetic cleaning filter?

[MisterBoy]

Our system has issues with magnetite sludge - an old system with about 20 radiators.
We already have what I think is the 'classic' MagnaClean fitted which has a capacity of a large mug. Our plumber recommends we might get a larger one and I wondered what is good?

The Adey 2XP?

I was curious about the Professional 3 with it's Wifi stuff, do pros reckon that's just a gimmick?

 

[Madrab]

Guess it depends on how your current one is performing would be my thoughts. Are you getting a lot of magnetite capture between services? How regular are they? I would have said that your current filter should be good enough, unless it's being overwhelmed.

I would say the wifi stuff is more of a toy and helpful if you want to be able to watch your filter catching stuff, tell you when it thinks its full and see things on an app. A yearly visual check has been the norm standard up till now.

That being said everything is going onto an app these days, why not a mag filter.

 

[MisterBoy]

@Madrab well we first realised a couple of years back when one of the heat-exchangers stopped, and turned out to be totally blocked. We discovered the magnaclean was covered in inch-thick sludge We'd had annual services but not sure if that guy had serviced the MC - or maybe we'd emptied the system and not added inhibitor.

Anyway we had the system hooked to the MagnaCleanse for a day but not long after something else failed and the emergency plumber pointed out the water was black and filthy.
It's now hooked up again for a week as our local plumber isn't using his kit. But with the amount of crud we're getting, he wondered if a bigger one might be handy. I've been checking ours once a month or so and that's a faff

 

[Madrab]

If the system, is black and filthy then no mag filter you could get will sort it. It needs a cleaner in it and then properly flushed (power/gravity/mains), properly inhibited and the filter should then keep on top of it from that point.

 

[MisterBoy]

Yeah, but as I said it had been flushed and cleansed previously - then subsequently was back to being bad again.
Take your point cleansing the system is not what the filter is for. So at what size system would it be appropriate to switch from the 2 => 2X?

The other thing is how to get inhibitor into the system. I would like to be able to do this in case we have to drain the system but I don't have any sort of port. I was thinking you could use the magnaclean to get a cupful in now and then but that could get expensive on seals, and there must be an easier way for user-access?

 

[Madrab]

but as I said it had been flushed and cleansed previously

Sorry but I didn't see where you said the system had been cleaned and flushed?

When you said you had the system hooked up to a magnaclense for a day, is that what you meant? Was it a powerflush machine with a magnaclense rapid filter system on a jig etc? Or just the magnacleanse double rapid filter system that comes in a black box?

If it was the former was the system fully flushed/agitated at each radiator and at the boiler and was the system then run clean? As part of that then the system should have then been inhibited. On 20 rads it would be a full day if not into the next.

If it was the latter then, the system needs to be fully drained first, the magnaclense fitted, a concentrated cleaner then used and the system filled and warmed up, the rads are bled till half full and then agitated in turn, during this the filters need cleaned out and the process repeated until the outlet hose runs clear. Once it's at that point the system is drained and then cold flush each rad in turn with water through the drain until that water runs clear. Then it's inhibited. It's not just a case of pop it on and leaving it I'm afraid.

There isn't really an ideal 'size' of filter IMO, again it's really down to how the system is functioning and how much crud it is gathering over a year. The larger pro2 is better for dosing the system as it'll take more inhibitor at a oner so probably better for your 20 rad system.

The other thing is, how large is the pipework feeding each radiator?

 

[MisterBoy]

Ah, sorry I don't really know all the details. I know it did take a full day with a couple of them. I think it was only the magnacleanse not anything powered but they went round every radiator doing... something. I know they drained it but I don't know what an agitator looks like. The guy did mention something like that when we were chatting the other day.

Maybe we'll have a look at a bucket of water from the system and see how bad it looks. Basically we keep having recurring issues with the boiler and it sounds like a dirty system is likely to be the problem. Not super-expensive, just irritating.

Is using the filter as a way to dose the system with inhibitor periodically a reasonable approach? I figure if I get a drain valve put in underneath I can isolate it, drain it, inspect and clean the magnetite and fill up with inhibitor as part of general maintenance once we get the system clean.

 

[Madrab]

Is using the filter as a way to dose the system with inhibitor periodically a reasonable approach?

Yes, but you should only have to dose the system once and then it should be fine unless it's losing water. You could empty a radiator and dose it that way too, a towel radiator is ideal. The system needs to be clean though otherwise your pedaling backwards.

When did the guys do the 'clean'? It really shouldn't be back to black again if it was done correctly and dosed with inhibitor properly.