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Discuss Power flush vs passive filter in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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In 95% of instances the much cheaper/simpler Magnacleanse type filters seem to be really effective. You obviously need a working circulating pump but has anyone used one where a boiler couldn't generate hot water?

Do people still buy powered units? I had planned to buy one but haven't really needed one so far, I'm now thinking I'll just rent as and wen needed.
 
I rent when needed. Not a huge call for powerflushing round me and for a decent powerflusher you are looking the best part of £1000.00 where as if I rent it I dont have maintenance etc on it.
 
I rent when needed. Not a huge call for powerflushing round me and for a decent powerflusher you are looking the best part of £1000.00 where as if I rent it I dont have maintenance etc on it.

That was kind of my view, things like pumps don't like sitting idle. You'd have to mess around with PAT testing etc, £1000 seems to be the cheaper end of the market.
 
If you already have a magnacleanse unit then you dont need to spend £1300 on a kamco with magnets in so the cf40 is more than enough for most domestic properties and you can pick one up for under £1000. Or you can go norstrom which is just over £1100.
 
When BG were really pushing the powerflush I was getting loads of enquiries and loads of work out of it. Now I only use it when I am doing a boiler change. It made its money and then some....but now I would just rent it if I did not have one. It is occasionally handy to have for some things, but not often.
 
I cannot see that it would be too hard to make a home made version using a F&E tank. I made a similar thing to descale boilers and multi points when in Somerset instead of buying a declomate just hooked it into the hot and cold supply and turned mains off. centralheatking
 
It sounds like you’re saying a magnacleanse is as good as a powerflush.

No I never said that! If you read it again and not crop it then you would see I said if you have a magnacleanse why would you buy a powerflush unit with magnets built in. Bit like buying a car then buying another engine for it.
 
No I never said that! If you read it again and not crop it then you would see I said if you have a magnacleanse why would you buy a powerflush unit with magnets built in. Bit like buying a car then buying another engine for it.
My bad. I’m on holiday and had a fair few mate. Sorry. Misunderstanding only.
 
Yes. Flow rate of pf pump make the stand cir pump look like a nats fart
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Also being able to reverse the flow of the water makes a huge difference.
 
Flow rate and reversibility.

I was the first independent in my area to have a Kamco over 20 years ago. I had started to lose work to BG on the strength of their PF'ing. I used it on all installs, but was never totally convinced that it wasn't just smoke and mirrors, compared to the "standard" chemichal flush, although the black stuff was impressive. In those days most of my jibs were BBU's out, heat only in. There were some dirty systems!

I got called to a noisy system which was a replacement BBU. The punter had declined a chem. flush.
I was honest with him, and told him that I had not yet used it to cure a specific problem. I was not going to do it free, but said that of it was not totally successful, I would just charge him half price. It was a part of my learning curve. Anyway, did the job as normal, but left it running through the HEX over lunch, so a lot longer than normal, TBF.

On my test before, it was so noisy he could not hear the TV, it was ridiculous. Afterwards, we fired it up, and had a coffee in the dining room, on the other side of the boiler wall. With the boiler up to temp, we could hear the clock in the lounge ticking. Amazing.

I got paid in full.

I sold the unit many tears later, as I had stopped doing heating, concentrating on fires. Eventually I bought the bigger Kamco on wheels, cost over a grand with all the bits, bit only used it about 4 times before becoming ill. Went to use it a couple of years later, and the motor was knackered, having been in my shed. So, yes, hiring is a good idea - but the hire shop will not have plenty pf connections. Over time of owning and using, you accumulate different fittings to get you out of trouble and make life easier.

One thing to note: they do not normally have an auto feed valve, so you have to keep a close eye on it. I started using a large seedling tray to stand it in, just in case, but stress levels were too high. I then invested in longer hoses, so the unit was outside.

Oh, and use the Kamco chemicals - FX2
 
Flow rate and reversibility.

I was the first independent in my area to have a Kamco over 20 years ago. I had started to lose work to BG on the strength of their PF'ing. I used it on all installs, but was never totally convinced that it wasn't just smoke and mirrors, compared to the "standard" chemichal flush, although the black stuff was impressive. In those days most of my jibs were BBU's out, heat only in. There were some dirty systems!

I got called to a noisy system which was a replacement BBU. The punter had declined a chem. flush.
I was honest with him, and told him that I had not yet used it to cure a specific problem. I was not going to do it free, but said that of it was not totally successful, I would just charge him half price. It was a part of my learning curve. Anyway, did the job as normal, but left it running through the HEX over lunch, so a lot longer than normal, TBF.

On my test before, it was so noisy he could not hear the TV, it was ridiculous. Afterwards, we fired it up, and had a coffee in the dining room, on the other side of the boiler wall. With the boiler up to temp, we could hear the clock in the lounge ticking. Amazing.

I got paid in full.

I sold the unit many tears later, as I had stopped doing heating, concentrating on fires. Eventually I bought the bigger Kamco on wheels, cost over a grand with all the bits, bit only used it about 4 times before becoming ill. Went to use it a couple of years later, and the motor was knackered, having been in my shed. So, yes, hiring is a good idea - but the hire shop will not have plenty pf connections. Over time of owning and using, you accumulate different fittings to get you out of trouble and make life easier.

One thing to note: they do not normally have an auto feed valve, so you have to keep a close eye on it. I started using a large seedling tray to stand it in, just in case, but stress levels were too high. I then invested in longer hoses, so the unit was outside.

Oh, and use the Kamco chemicals - FX2

Thanks for the info.

It’s the £1500 price tag that’s making me a hesitant. It just looks like a circulating pump with a trolley on the bottom. Will have to stop being tight and buy one.
 
Thanks for the info.

It’s the £1500 price tag that’s making me a hesitant. It just looks like a circulating pump with a trolley on the bottom. Will have to stop being tight and buy one.

The pump/motor are way, way more powerful with regard to flow rate in comparison with a circulating pump. The smallest Kamco units shift a lot of water with the smallest unit (CF40) shifting up to 90 litres per minute. These systems work by a combination of chemical action, high flow rates and multiple changes of flow direction to shift debris from the system and also to quickly discharge dirty water and refill with fresh water at the end of the process.

I think they are great pieces of kit. I think they end up paying for themselves quite quickly provided you push the service to your customers and get the jobs in. I used to enjoy spending the day powerflushing, very satisfying!
 

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