Magnaclean filter + it's effect on a diverter valve

[peca27]

Morning all

I've just got a Magnaclean off e-bay (a snip at £75 compared to my local plumber's merchants) + I'm looking at fitting it in a few days.

I've got a combi Vaillant TurboMAX 828, of which i've replaced the diverter valve once already......... and i'm hoping this Magnaclean will mean I'm never gonna have to replace it again (fingers crossed).

Trouble is, with it being an existing system, the CH return pipework is proving very awkward to get to......... i can't even get my 22mm pipeslice into the gap. I know i can fit the filter onto the CH outflow pipe, but that is equally as awkward and I would rather fit it on the CH return.

So i've gone approx 12 ft down the CH return pipe + found an area I can fit it horizontally, as oppose to the more conventional vertical fit. I know it will be more awkward in terms of servicing, but does the orientation of the filter effect it's workability?

Any advice cheers

 

[cross thread]

as its a magnet cant see position making that much differance

 

[Agile]

Its important the its fitted on the return so it can pick up magnetic debris from the rads.

As long as its after the last rad it does not matter where on the pipe.

It will work in any orientation as long as you can manage cleaning it and spilling its contents.

The diverter failure on your model was due to a faulty design and not because of dirt.

The magnaclean is primarily to prevent the plate HE getting blocked.

Tony

 

[peca27]

Cheers for the advice

Agile, u say that the diverter valve problem is a design fault..........i've posted on here before + the main consensus has been that it has clogged up because of dirt in the system + that a Magnaclean should help. But if your saying that it's a design fault, fair enough - i bow to your superior knowledge on this one.

And if it is a design fault, i presume the replacement valve (and any future replacements) will have this same design fault? ............therefore i will always have this problem no matter what?

Is there anything I can do, other than bulk order 3/4 diverter valves for future use?

 

[Agile]

Dont worry!

The design fault was realised ( a bit too late ) and the design was modified so the problem is unlikely to re occur if you have the later type fitted now.

Dont take too much notice of some of the replies you find on this site. Many are not from heating professionals but just DIYers who like to have their say.

The problem ones had a round ball and the redesigned one a rugby ball shape.

On most of the faulty ones the breather holes in the side were about 3 mm and on all the new ones its larger at about 6 mm.

I did think that all the bad ones had the smaller hole until I found one with a larger hole!

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

They've been through about 5 design changes on those valves, but they're still quite susceptible to dirt in the system. Most of the ones I change now have big holes!

 

[peca27]

Ok i'm even more confused now

Agile - u say that a design change looks to have solved the problem, ie- a valve with a rugby shaped ball + 6mm breather hole should be ok for the long run.

BUT then

ChrisR - u say they're still susceptible to dirt (contradicting Agile who says dirt has got nothing to do with diverter valve failures?). So would a Magnaclean help in the longevity of a diverter valve? Then u say that most of the diverter's that fail + u change have got the bigger 6mm breather holes, therefore it sounds like the design revisions don't seem to be working?

 

[ChrisR]

It's more reliable than it was but still sticks or gums up if the system's dirty.
The early ones had a different rubber which went soft, leaky etc.
Vaillant say their boilers are for use with clean water. Unfortunately that's a rare thing in heating systems.

 

[Agile]

Peca, you are jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

Of course the diverter valve can jam if the system water is dirty.

But the failure of the round ball valves was caused by the design problem even on a clean system.

Tony

 

[peca27]

okay

i think i've got it now, apologies to all........

it seems that the design revisions of the diverter have helped, although not completly solved, the problem of valve failures. It seems that one of the contributing factors, to the failures, has been a dirty system- therefore a Magnaclean should extend the life of the diverter valve........

and if i do need another diverter in the future, i need to ensure it is the latest spec + should have a 6mm breather hole with a rugby shaped ball valve........

am i on the right lines now folks?

 

[peca27]

I tried fitting the Magnaclean filter last night........it didn't go quite as planned.

The filters have a plastic thread on the body of the filter itself, an isolating elbow is attached to that. With it being a plastic thread, and the area worked on was also restrictive, i managed to cross thread it. Therefore i couldn't get it to nip + it was leaking.

Now i've used the ptfe tape + tried some joint paste. I've left it to set overnight and i'll check it tonight. Why the bl**dy hell have they got a plastic thread for a plumbing joint? Couldn't they have used metal joints all round + charged £10-£20 more?

Anyway, apart from using ptfe + joint compound, is there anything else i can do in this situation? (fyi - i've got this feeling i'm propably gonna have to get another filter)

Thanks for any advice

 

[micky p]

I tried fitting the Magnaclean filter last night........it didn't go quite as planned.

The filters have a plastic thread on the body of the filter itself, an isolating elbow is attached to that. With it being a plastic thread, and the area worked on was also restrictive, i managed to cross thread it. Therefore i couldn't get it to nip + it was leaking.

Now i've used the ptfe tape + tried some joint paste. I've left it to set overnight and i'll check it tonight. Why the bl**dy hell have they got a plastic thread for a plumbing joint? Couldn't they have used metal joints all round + charged £10-£20 more?

Anyway, apart from using ptfe + joint compound, is there anything else i can do in this situation? (fyi - i've got this feeling i'm propably gonna have to get another filter)

Thanks for any advice

they have to be made of plastic due to being a magnet inside and also cheaper to make and they are smoother when made of plastic.

 

[JohnD]

You could take it off, and in good light carefully run a brass nut up and down the thread the correct way, you may be able to re-form it correctly.

 

[Softus]

The magnaclean is primarily to prevent the plate HE getting blocked.

Magnaclean ® ?

 

[Paul Barker]

The plastic thread is the weakness of the magnaclean my assisitant cross threaded one, so I always pipe them up myself. The trick is to connect the pipe to the magnaclean in free air then attach said pipe into the system.

If they made plumbing items idiot proof we would be out of a job, it is our skill to deal with these flaws in design that makes us earn as much as a hospital cleaner.

From your cross examination of the whole diverter valve story I am guessing you are a lawyer.

The boiler buddy is much better in respect of the connections but that has another problem as a result of which success in design. This is that most diyers are incapable of managing pump valves.

Whichever way you look at it it's a job for the intelligent, not for lawyers.