Filters, Scale Reducers & Terminal Guards

Three parts that stop the expensive bit failing

A heat exchanger is most of the cost of a boiler. Everything here exists to keep it clean.

How the magnet worksSystem water carries iron oxide worn off radiators and pipework. A magnet in the flow grabs it and holds it in the pot, where it can be washed out at each service.

An in-line scale reducerFitted on the cold feed so limescale never reaches the plate exchanger. Seventy-five pounds, and in Lincolnshire it is the cheapest thing you can do for the boiler.

A flue terminal guardRequired where the flue comes out less than two metres above ground, or anywhere somebody could touch it. Forty-five pounds, and we add it in the quote rather than on the day.

Magnetic system filter — included

Steel radiators shed iron into the system water. A magnet in the return grabs it before it reaches the heat exchanger and holds it in a pot that gets emptied at each service. Most manufacturers now make it a warranty condition, so we fit one every time rather than selling it to you.

Scale reducer — £75, only where it helps

Hard water deposits limescale on the plate heat exchanger, which is the part a combi uses to make your hot water. Scale there is the single most common reason a combi loses its shower performance after a few years.

An in-line reducer on the cold feed conditions the water before it gets there. In Lincolnshire and most of the East Midlands we would fit one. Across the Pennine-fed parts of Yorkshire the water is soft and it would be a waste of your money, so we say so.

Flue terminal guard — £45 where it is required

Not decoration and not optional. Where a flue terminates below two metres, or over a walkway, path or anywhere reachable, a guard is a Building Regulations requirement. The quote tool asks how high your flue is and adds it if the answer needs it.

Condensate pump — £185 where there is no drain

Condensing boilers make acidic waste water. It normally runs away under gravity, but where there is no fall to a drain it has to be pumped. We also lag any condensate run that goes outside, because a frozen condensate pipe is the single most common reason a boiler locks out in January.

Programmable thermostat and CO alarm — both included

A programmable room thermostat is in every price, fitted and paired before we leave. If you already have a Hive, a Nest or a tado we will reconnect it instead and it costs you nothing.

The carbon monoxide alarm is a Building Regulations requirement in the same room as the boiler. Ours is a sealed ten-year battery so there is nothing for you to remember.

Undramatic, and the reason your boiler keeps running

A condensate pumpCondensing boilers make acidic waste water. With no gravity route to a drain it has to be pumped up and away, and it must never be run to an unheated outside pipe unlagged.

The filling loop and gaugeA sealed system needs about 1 to 1.5 bar when cold. The loop lets you top it up, and if you are topping up often you have a leak, not a habit.

Carbon monoxide alarmBuilding Regulations require one in the same room as the boiler. Ours is a sealed ten-year battery, fitted and tested before we leave.

Questions about the extras

Which of these are actually included?+

The magnetic filter, the carbon monoxide alarm, the programmable thermostat, the condensate pipework and the flue up to a metre are all in every price. So is the gas upgrade to 22mm if it is needed.

The scale reducer, the terminal guard beyond the standard case, extra TRVs and a power flush are optional and priced openly in the quote.

Is a magnetic filter really necessary?+

Yes, and most manufacturers now require one for the warranty to stand. It catches the iron oxide that would otherwise reach the heat exchanger.

We fit one as standard rather than presenting it as an upgrade, because a boiler warranty that has been voided is not a warranty.

Do I need a scale reducer?+

In Lincolnshire, most of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, we would say yes — that is limestone country and the water is hard. In Sheffield, Leeds or Huddersfield the water comes off the Pennines soft and you do not need one.

Our town pages tell you which you are in, and the quote suggests one only where it makes sense.

What is a terminal guard for?+

A flue outlet gets hot and pushes out exhaust. If it comes out less than two metres above the ground, or anywhere a person could touch it, Building Regulations require a guard over it.

It is £45 and the quote adds it automatically if you tell us the flue is low. We would rather price it than surprise you with it.

Why would I need a condensate pump?+

A condensing boiler produces about two litres of mildly acidic waste water a day, and it has to run away somewhere. Usually gravity handles it into a drain.

If the boiler is in a spot with no fall to a drain — an internal utility room, a loft, some flats — it has to be pumped. That is one of the fifteen questions.

The small things that decide whether a boiler lasts.