Magnaclean Installation Instructions: 5-Step Help Guide

Last updated on October 5th, 2024

Fitting a Magnaclean on your heating system is recommended to collect the iron oxide and sludge that builds up. They are also a great place for adding inhibitor and other chemicals.

I have been a full-time heating engineer repairing and installing boilers for over a decade. Here is my Magnaclean installation guide with photos from a filter replacement job of mine on an old and leaking Fernox TF1 filter.

Magnaclean Installation Tools

The tools and materials I used on this job (with Amazon links):

• Magnaclean Professional 2
• Adjustable spanner
• Water pump pliers
• Olive cutters 22mm
• Pipe cutter 22mm
• Jointing compound
• Compression straight coupler 22mm
• Marker pen
• Copper pipe 22mm

Magnaclean Installation Location

The best place to fit a central heating magnetic filter is on the return pipe next to the boiler and after the last radiator on the system. This means all the water inside the system is going through the filter after going through all the radiators and catching any debris before it returns to go through the boiler.

If you don’t have enough room you can fit it on the flow pipe, or on the system somewhere else (eg the cylinder cupboard) as anywhere is better than nowhere.

Magnaclean Professional 2 Installation

1. Drain the heating system
2. Prepare the pipe
3. Fit the new Magnaclean valves
4. Fit the filter onto the connections
5. Repressurise the boiler

Step 1: Drain the System

I was able to drain the system enough from the old magnetic filter on this job which was a huge bonus, but you might need to fully drain it.

This job was in a flat so no radiators above the drain point which means I didn’t have to touch any radiators. I placed a bucket under the old filter and opened the drain valve on the bottom.

Step 2: Prepare the Pipe

Mark and Cut the Pipe

If you are fitting a Magnaclean in a new place, you will need to mark the pipe where the filter is going and cut out a section of the pipe. To mark it you will need to work out how far in the valve the pipe sits and mark the valves on the outside with a marker. Then hold the valves up to the pipe and mark and cut the pipe.

Remove the Old Magnetic Filter

If you are replacing an old filter like I was on this job, you will need to:

1. Undo the two nuts on the top and bottom of the old filter valves
2. Remove the magnetic filter
3. Remove the olives on the pipe with the olive cutters
4. Remove the two old nuts from the pipe

Step 3: Fit the New Magnaclean Valves

Fit the new valves over the pipe and tighten the nuts. You might need to remove the nut from the return valve on the boiler to remove the pipe first if there’s no movement in the pipe. If you removed an old filter and olives, use some jointing compound on the old pipe and fit the Magnaclean valves.

Add Some Pipe

If there’s a gap then you will need to add some pipe using the straight compression coupler like I had to on this job. I ended up cutting a small piece of the old pipe away first as the end of the old pipe was a bit of a mess and the gap was very small to make up.

Tighten Everything Up

Tighten all the nuts up with an adjustable spanner and water pump pliers. There are two nuts on the Magnaclean valves and two nuts on the compression coupler if you use one.

Step 4: Fit the Magnaclean Pro 2

Fit the new Magnaclean filter by fitting the safety clamp first then push the filter onto the connections. Once it is pushed on fully, you should screw the safety clamp down to stop the filter from being able to be pulled off. Open the valves until you can see green on the valves.

Step 5: Repressurise the Boiler

• Repressurise the boiler
• Bleed the filter and any radiators if they were drained
• Check for leaks

If any of the nuts leak you will need to tighten the nuts more with an adjustable spanner and water pump pliers.

If the leak doesn’t stop then you can:

1. Drain the pressure down
2. Undo the leaking nut
3. Slide away and add lots of jointing compound over the olive and threads
4. Refit the nut and tighten
5. Clean off any access jointing compound

Summary

A Magnaclean installation is very straightforward most of the time. You shouldn’t need to drain the system fully, just make sure the water stops coming out completely before cutting the pipe.

Learn how to clean a Magnaclean filter for regular central heating magnetic filter cleaning.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to help. If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it.