How does X400 work?

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Sentinel X400. Non-acidic de-sludger.

I put some into the rather old system at my old mum's house, after previously given it some plain-water flushes and fitting a Magnaclean. The Magnaclean was picking up reducing amounts of black and the water looked fairly clear.

After running the X400 for a few hours, the magnaclean was thick with sludge.

Does the X400 loosen it?
 
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It's got some chelating agents (one you can look up - I won't bore you) which stick to iron oxides, and flocculating agents which make them gang up together and go round in suspension.
Probably loads of other things I haven't a clue about too.
It isn't aggressive though - it goes on working for weeks, and sometimes needs it.
 
Its nice to hear that it did what it says on the can!
 
That does it. I have a steamer to fit at home some day. To heck with it, mains flush, two magnacleans in series for a few weeks, after which removal of one, and two bottles of that hocum pocum should do. After all it won't be a combi with a plate.

I am finding the magnetic filters at time of installation are filling up, but two weeks later when system water has settled down, just a thin film.
 
I am sorry to disappoint you but my experiences are that the greater problem is lime compounds which are not attracted to the magnet.

Earlier magnacleans I thought had a gauze filter but one I fitted recently did not come with one although I added one when I fitted it.

The lime compounds, for those who do not know, are formed from the first and any subsequent fills of water if the boiler is operated without setting the heat output to match the system. The water is boiled in the heat exchanger and lime deposits hopefully flake off but then often block the plate HE ( if fitted ).

Tony
 
As a non-installer are these magnecleans as good as the brochures say?

Are they easy to install? Might be an option to fit one after a powerflush

Thanks Paul

:) .
 
I found it easy to install. You will need to bung or drain the system first if vented. I drained, to get out the loose stuff. If your system is already full of expensive inhibitor, I would bung it before draining into buckets so the liquid can be re-used.

One thing I would do differently:

I followed the instructions for cutting out a length of 22mm pipe (they say what length, 133mm I think it was).
In my case, the lower pipe then dropped a bit under its own weight, and when tightening the two compression fittings, I hadn't got enough hands to lift the lower pipe tightly into position, while holding the Magnaclean body with my other hand, and the spanner in my other other hand.
If doing it again,I would cut the gap a bit smaller so that it was naturally pressed tightly into the fittings. You should be able to see how much the pipe drops after making the first cut.

Also, the stubs on the body are off-set, so that the body will lie diagonally (if using existing vertical pipe). The nearer to vertical you can fit the body, the less likely it is to spill water when you take the top off. You can twist it a bit while tightening up, if you have some play in the pipes.

I intend to fit some more pipe clamps to resist the torque of the spanner when removing the top to clean off the magnet.

BTW, in my own house, I intend to use DS40 shortly which I hope will remove old lime scale (very hard water area) to stop my iron Flamingo bonking (as recommended by Tony on another thread). My own system seems free of black oxide.
 
If the "bonking" ( I didn't think that boilers bonked ??? ) is caused by lime scale which is most likely then you should use sulphamic acid ( DS3 ) as citric acid ( DS40 ) has little effect.

I hope that I did not suggest you used DS40 unless the problem seems to be caused by metal oxides.

As the problem can be caused by both metal oxides and lime compounds its often necessary to use DS40 first and then DS3 afterwards.

DS3 does not react very well at low temperatures. To use it you should close all the rads and then run the boiler at about 80 °C on HW only for a few hours. Its often necessary to turn up the cylinderstat while you do this. Only use 1/3 can of DS3 at a time.

Tony
 
:cry:

Thanks.

I don't know what the cause is, but it bonks loudly despite a couple of bottles of sentinel Silencer.

It seems free of circulating black oxide (having been powerflushed about 5 years ago and refilled with X100). I live in a very hard water area. I put the Magnaclean on it for a couple of days but got nothing more than a faint dirty mark on the magnet.

Radwater20070518-1.jpg
 
Try the DS3 then!

You could also use X200 but thats pretty mild and although easy to use and can even be left in situ its only really suitable for very minor problems.

Tony
 

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