Do I need a filter before the boiler?

[Dave2001]

My boiler has been short cycling (about 2mins on then 2 mins off repeatedly), after much pain and anguish I have found there is a filter immediately before the boiler on my system (looks a bit like a upside down Y shape) The element was very clogged up so I cleaned it and put it back in. However the boiler still short cycled. So I removed it completely and it's now working great. However I am uneasy about not having the filter in there but it is very fine and looks quite restrictive. Is it normal practice to have one in there? I don't want the debris ending up in the heat exchanger I guess...

The system is a sealed pressurised one with a Worcester Greenstar 24ri and a hot water tank, it was only installed 2 years ago.
Thanks in advance for you opinions

 

[oilman]

The system once worked. Your car works. If your car stopped working but you found removing the oil filter made it work, would you leave the filter off or find out what the problem really is and get it fixed?

Most systems don't have a filter, and sooner rather than later they have problems from all the crud floating round. You probably have crud elswhere. I suggest you fix the problem and put the filter back.