New Boiler - Powerflush & Magnaclean filter?

Trifid

Trifid

Trifid

Soldato
Joined
18 Feb 2006
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Are these worth it? It's for a like for like combi boiler replacement and I've not long ago had half my radiators replaced for new ones. I'm siding with the standard chemical flush being sufficient but wanted your views.

Thanks.
 
Lots of boiler manufacturers insist on a filter for warranty, think they also insist on the inhibitor etc, heard conflicting views on powerflush.
 
I flush my system myself every 3 years, keeps it nice and clean. Inhibitor is always worth it, think of it like the coolant and distilled water in your car.

Magnaclean? On the fence with those.

If you've had the rads replaced recently I would just fit the new boiler, add inhibitor and go.
 
They've included the inhibitor in the base price. I'm on the fence with the Magnaclean, finding a good spot for it will be tricky though.
 
I fix heating systems all day long :)
Regardless of new radiators or not, get a magna clean fitted, you'll be amazed what drops off the insides of radiators over the years! Even with inhibitors. And keeping that carp out of the boiler is a must.

A powerflush is normally only needed with older existing radiators OR if you have been advised by a professional who has worked on your system and seen the quality of the heating water and/or corrosion sludge etc
 
As I noted in another thread, having a Magnaclean fitted catches some black stuff, but didn't stop the CH header tank filling back up with black water, increasing in consistency to a black sludge on the bottom. That was just 18 months after having a power flush done. Obviously the inside of our radiators have seen better days but would have expected the magnet to have caught a much bigger proportion, not collected in the tank.

Have cleaned the header out and put some more inhibitor in but I shall mention to the British Gas engineer on the next annual service that the Magnaclean isn't working very efficiently. Perhaps it needs moving to another part of the system as the guy who fitted it put it on the CH circuit rather than a common section of pipework which would ensure the HW circuit also got some benefit (i.e. during the summer when the heating is off, none of the water circulating the HW side is getting filtered).
 
We have got a sealed system here and I am impressed with MagnaClean Professional 2. The amount of stuff which was captured after a powerflush was impressive. I now have a look every 4 months or so and there is only a small amount of sludge -easy to open and clean. I do think you can add inhibitor when you remove the lid - not done that yet.

For around £120 I am happy with it.
 
I retro fitted one two years ago - I clean it out a week before I have boiler service - - It has a thin film of black sludge on plastic tube bit but that's all - for what it cost and ease of cleaning it out I am glad I went for it - I reused three radiators from our house here when we bought it and flushed them out and they were full of sludge - mind you it was a open vented system then - now got a combi with load of inhibitor in system.

Dave
 
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Just had the pleasure of getting a new boiler as well and for the cost it wasn't worth debating it if i remember.
Think they are more of a standard nowadays because the new intakes are smaller to the newer boilers? (or some reason new boilers need them more then past ones did).
 
Crappy microbore pipe you may mean.

I still use 22mm and 15mm copper but the water in Scotland is not full of limescale so that helps..
 
user100monkey said:
Just had the pleasure of getting a new boiler as well and for the cost it wasn't worth debating it if i remember.
Think they are more of a standard nowadays because the new intakes are smaller to the newer boilers? (or some reason new boilers need them more then past ones did).
Click to expand...

I believe it is in the heat exchanger where they get blocked as the pipes split of into small channels.

Anyway, I've had a slight change of heart after doing some more reading into the boilers. The flue for the boiler has to clear the eaves of my roof (bungalow) and it will look ridiculous. On top of this, they produce a lot more water vapour that is also acidic and don't want that going all over my garden. I'll readdress this later with potentially moving it to my loft. Hopefully my current boiler can be given a bit more life.
 
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