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Question of the Week / QotW - 09.04.26 - Do magnets remove lime scale from water pipes?
« on: 01/12/2009 19:17:53 »
Well after just installing a Magnaclean filter. The answer is: Yes they work. But not on limescale.
I was advised to get a magnetic filter from a british gas engineer. I asked the same question. How can magnets remove limescale as its non-ferrous.
They don't. As they are sold to remove Iron Oxide that builds up as black iron oxide sludge that clogs up your boiler and rads. This was causing my boiler to go wrong all the time. I always thought it was limescale. After I saw the condenser they had to replace in the boiler I can see why. It was jam packed full of iron sludge.
So I've fitted one and 3 days later I checked the magnaclean filter and it does work. It had started collecting iron sludge before it had entered the boiler to do damage.
I will still have to clean the filter out from time to time mind you. But it looks like it's working.
I suspect the cheap limescale removers that advertise wrapping magnets around the pipe don't work. If they do have any effect it would be only on the iron. And would only build up on that section of pipe. Being there is no filter to collect the iron oxide. That in term would only block the pipe over time and you would have to cut the pipe out and replace it with a new section. But I doubt the magnets would be strong enough to attract the iron to the side of the pipe.
Link
http://www.adeysolutions.co.uk/subprofessional2.asp?id=246
I was advised to get a magnetic filter from a british gas engineer. I asked the same question. How can magnets remove limescale as its non-ferrous.
They don't. As they are sold to remove Iron Oxide that builds up as black iron oxide sludge that clogs up your boiler and rads. This was causing my boiler to go wrong all the time. I always thought it was limescale. After I saw the condenser they had to replace in the boiler I can see why. It was jam packed full of iron sludge.
So I've fitted one and 3 days later I checked the magnaclean filter and it does work. It had started collecting iron sludge before it had entered the boiler to do damage.
I will still have to clean the filter out from time to time mind you. But it looks like it's working.
I suspect the cheap limescale removers that advertise wrapping magnets around the pipe don't work. If they do have any effect it would be only on the iron. And would only build up on that section of pipe. Being there is no filter to collect the iron oxide. That in term would only block the pipe over time and you would have to cut the pipe out and replace it with a new section. But I doubt the magnets would be strong enough to attract the iron to the side of the pipe.
Link
http://www.adeysolutions.co.uk/subprofessional2.asp?id=246