Are you one of the very few people in the world who're interested in learning about central heating inhibitors, and how they work to reduce corrosion? Today is your lucky day.
Over the years, debris and corrosion can accumulate within a central heating system, causing it many problems.
These issues can range from slowing the system down to reducing its life expectancy, much like your clogged arteries can do. But unlike you, your boiler can’t switch to a better diet.
If your heating system suffers from too great a build-up of debris and corrosion, sludge can block water travelling through the pipework.
This can lead to cold spots in your radiators, and you’d ultimately need to pay for a power flush, which makes you wish your arteries had the same option.
However, adding a central heating inhibitor is an effective approach to preventing these problems in the first place.
All in all, this budget-friendly product could save you from a world of trouble and add several years to your boiler’s life expectancy.
But what exactly is a central heating inhibitor? Despite what the name might suggest, it doesn’t inhibit your central heating from working - quite the opposite.
P.S. Heatable includes a chemical flush and Adey magnetic filter with all new installs as standard, but you can upgrade to a ProFlush (magnacleanse) if you want an extra deep clean.
What is a Central Heating Inhibitor?
Put simply, this product is a chemical solution you add to a central heating system to prevent corrosion and the formation of debris (e.g., rust).
Ultimately, this can help sustain your central heating system's performance, efficiency and durability. It’s like a work out for your heating system, without it having to do any work.
Strictly speaking, a central heating inhibitor isn’t required but we’d strongly recommend using it or a similar solution to protect your heating system against corrosion and debris.
Sludge kills boilers. Inhibitor helps to prevent sludge.
Not only that, but some boiler warranties require that you use a central heating inhibitor (or an alternative), otherwise, your warranty would be voided. If you don’t like being told what to do, don’t read your boiler warranty stipulations (but you really should, if you like saving money).
Failure to add a central heating inhibitor or employ a suitable alternative could see your boiler turn useless in as little as 18 months!
How to Use a Central Heating Inhibitor
How you use a central heating inhibitor can vary from product to product. The process may differ based on the sort of heating system you have too.
For that reason, it’s critical that you always follow the manufacturer's instructions. Like your mother-in-law, they know best.
On average, you should add a central heating inhibitor approximately once a year or otherwise, when recommended by the manufacturer.
However, a combi boiler generally involves the following steps.
Turn off your heating system.
Drain your system.
Turn off the drain valve.
Remove the radiator bleed plug.
Fit the inhibitor dosing adaptor in place*
Pour the product in via the adaptor.
Remove the dosing adaptor.
Fit the bleed plug back in place and tighten it with a spanner.
Turn on the radiator valves.
Ensure your boiler pressure is correct, if not you’ll have to top it up.
Bleed the radiators.
*If you don’t have one, a funnel or flexible tube could suffice. Ensure the material used is suitable and make sure you don’t come into contact with the product.
The process discussed above would differ if you have a sealed or open-vented system instead.
When adding a central heating inhibitor, make sure to proceed with caution regardless of what heating system you have.
It’s important not to come into contact with the product. Anything that eradicates rust is not going to be too friendly to your eyeballs, either.
For further information, read the manufacturer’s safety advice and warnings.
How Much Central Heating Inhibitor Do I Need?
On average, a one-litre bottle would treat as many as 8-10 radiators.
So, how much of this product you’d need would obviously depend on how many radiators you need to treat. Think of it like an old-school maths equation, but this time not with people getting on the bus.
If you have say 12-15 radiators, you’d probably need two 1-litre bottles.
The thing is, though, many central heating inhibitors, including some of the best products, come in 500ml bottles.
As a result, if you have say 8-10 radiators, you’d need two of these whereas if your home features 12-15 radiators, four of these 500ml bottles would likely be required.
Here’s a table for further clarity: *
Number of Radiators | No. of 500ml Bottles | No. of 1 Litre Bottles |
3-4 radiators | 1 Bottle | 1 Bottle |
5-7 radiators | 2 Bottles | 1 Bottle |
8-10 radiators | 2 Bottles | 1 Bottle |
11-13 radiators | 3 Bottles | 2 Bottles |
14-16 radiators | 4 Bottles | 2 Bottles |
17+ radiators | 4+ Bottles | 2+ Bottles |
*These are averages and it would depend on factors such as the size of your radiators.
The Best Central Heating Inhibitors on the Market
With so many products on the market, it helps to narrow down your options to only the very best products.
Of course, you’ll need to ensure any given product is suitable for your particular central heating. With that said, here are our favourite central heating inhibitors.
Related reading:
MagnaClean MC1
This popular central heating inhibitor is suited to all heating systems.
As each of the products reviewed in this section, MagnaClean MC1 is ranked among the best central heating inhibitors by multiple heating websites - it turns out we’re not the only ones.
Available for a little under £14, MC1 can treat up to 125 litres, weighs 500 grams (it’s a 500ml product) and has a strong 4.7-star rating on Amazon out of more than 300 customer reviews.
Similar ratings can be found elsewhere such as on the Screwfix official website.
Fernox F1
The Fernox F1 500ml Central Heating Protector has built a strong reputation over the many years it's been on the market.
Like MagnaClean MC1, Fernox F1 has received a 4.7-star rating on Amazon. This is out of a whopping 1,600+ reviews, however, making this rating even more credible.
One notable advantage of this £21 product is that if used along with the brand’s F3 Cleaner, you may achieve up to 15% savings on your gas bills. If your gas bill is more than £ 140 a year, that means it’s worth getting.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions if combining inhibitors to ensure you add both to your heating system safely and correctly. Fernox F1 is also non-toxic and eco-friendly. Still don’t sprinkle it in your eyes - it’s not that eco-friendly.
Sentinel X100
Another top-of-the-market central heating inhibitor is X100 from Sentinel. This one-litre product is available for about £15 and out of some 1,000 reviews has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon. That’s better than some best-selling artists out there.
It is promoted as offering pH-neutral formation and ensuring optimum system efficiency. Sentinel X100 is a popular product and one of the very options out there.
How Else Can You Prolong Your Central Heating System?
As we’ve alluded to, there are other ways of prolonging the lifespan of your central heating system. However, there is one key alternative that stands out the most.
Magnetic Filter
Instead of adding a central heating inhibitor to your heating system annually, you could have a magnetic filter installed instead.
This device serves the purpose of catching magnetic debris like rust and corrosive debris to prevent it from negatively impacting your heating system. It’s a lot better than picking out the rust pieces by hand.
A good magnetic filter can therefore prevent the build-up and sludge, prevent the need to have your heating system power flushed and ultimately prolong the lifespan of your boiler.
Magnetic filters have just taken off in popularity over the past several years but look set to be a key component in the future of domestic heating. After all, who doesn’t like an automatic solution to take care of your boiler?
However, they do cost around £200 to £250 to install (this included the standalone cost and the labour price).
So, sure, ten bottles of central heating inhibitor (one applied each year), might cost around the same or even less than having a magnetic filter installed.
But at the end of the day, a magnetic filter installation is a one-off and lasting solution, and it can save you time.
Now, they do need to be removed and cleaned annually but only as part of an annual boiler service, which would be performed by a professional anyway.
Scale Reducer
If you were to go down the magnetic filter route, you should consider having a scale reducer added too since magnetic filters do not address limescale. It doesn’t change the scale of your train model sets, not to worry.
Scale reducers generally cost £20 standalone. You may face an additional £30 to £60 charge for the cost of labour when having one installed.
Some of the key issues with limescale are that they can gather on heat exchangers as well as create hot spots. These hot spots can result in cracks, and you may face repairs priced at £350 or greater.
Limescale can also negatively affect temperature sensors. If this occurs, your boiler could switch off before it's meant to and lasts but certainly not least, this issue may simply lead to radiators outright malfunctioning. It’s like you’re forcing them to go on strike.
The Full Monty
You may decide to simply add a central heating inhibitor each year or you may go with a magnetic filter. You might even avail of a magnetic filter and scale reducer installation.
However, if you want maximum protection for your heating system and boiler, we’d recommend going with all three. It’s like kicking, punching, and a headbutt all at once.
Of course, it is far from necessary to use all three, but it would mean maximising the life expectancy, resilience and reliability of your central heating.
Of course, an annual boiler service is another important element of ensuring that your heating system lasts for a decade or more before it is beyond economical repair (BER).
Once, it’s BER, you should look at having a new efficient boiler installed in its place.
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