Adey Professional 3 Sense review

What a magnetic filter does, and what Sense adds

Magnetite is the black iron-oxide sludge that forms as steel radiators corrode from the inside; carried round in the water, it settles in the boiler's heat exchanger and pump and causes cold spots, noise and eventually failure. A magnetic filter holds the particles on a magnet before they reach the boiler; this one uses a 150mm by 19mm magnet in a stainless steel sheath inside a 0.55 litre canister.

The Sense module is what Adey calls the first Wi-Fi connected magnetic filter. Press the check button and four LEDs show how much magnetite the magnet holds, from one for a clean filter to the last for needs immediate attention; the ADEY Sense app reports the same reading as green, amber or red over home Wi-Fi. It runs on two AA alkaline batteries that Adey recommends replacing every two years, the enclosure is rated IP52, it uses the 2.4GHz band to a router up to 30 metres away, and readings are stored and sent if the Wi-Fi drops.

Fitting it in a British home

Adey recommends installation by a qualified heating engineer. The guide says it can go anywhere before the boiler, ideally after the last radiator on the return, and shows both open-vented and combi or sealed systems. Limits are 3°C to 95°C water, up to 6 bar and 50 litres a minute, with 22mm compression valves on both sides and bi-directional flow. Allow 203mm of height, 98mm across the lid, 182mm including valves, 100mm between filter and valve centres, plus 50mm clearance above the air vent and below the drain plug for servicing; it weighs 2.35kg.

Adey says to connect the filter to a Sense account and check signal strength at the spot before plumbing it in, and warns that fridge-freezers, hot water cylinders, foil-backed plasterboard, radiators and thick brick walls can all cut the range.

How it compares

Adey's MagnaClean Professional2 is this filter without the electronics: the same 203mm body, 150mm by 19mm magnet and 0.55 litre canister, bi-directional, 2kg, and the pack on the comparison adds MC1+ protector and MC3+ cleaner. The Fernox TF1 Sigma Mini is the compact rival, needing as little as 105mm, with a neodymium magnet in a withdrawable dry pocket and the same 10-year warranty. Neither tells you anything until an engineer opens it.

Living with it

Servicing is yearly: release the pressure, drain, clean the magnet, lubricate the lid seal with silicone grease or water only, never flux or EP grease, and press reset so the gauge counts from a clean filter; a quick-release trigger lets the filter come off and go back on in seconds. Adey's installer app carries annual service reminders, and a HomeZone report, set up on request, shows the householder the magnetite level. The warranty is 10 years if registered within 30 days of installation, which happens automatically during the app set-up, with a confirmation sent to the email address you give the installer.

Adey quotes a 7% annual saving on heating bills and up to 250kg of carbon a year for a typical three-bedroom property, citing independent research; treat that as a maker's figure. BS 7593:2019, the British Standard for water treatment in heating systems, recommends a filter and a yearly check of inhibitor levels, so have the engineer dose the system when the filter goes in.

Safety

Adey's guide carries three cautions: the magnet is strong and needs careful handling, the canister is pressurised and must be depressurised before the lid comes off, and water must be kept away from the battery compartment. Replacement batteries must be the specified AA alkaline type.

Our verdict

Buy it if the property is let, left empty for stretches, or home to someone who would not notice a radiator going cold, and you want the system to ask for help before the boiler stops. Skip it if you simply need magnetite protection on a boiler you live with: the Professional2 or the Fernox filters just as well, and the engineer sees the magnet at every service anyway. Skip it too if the boiler cupboard has no reliable Wi-Fi. If you are weighing this against a new boiler, read repair or replace first.

Does the MagnaClean Professional3 Sense work without Wi-Fi?

The filtering does; the magnet needs no power. Without Wi-Fi you lose the app alerts, but the check button still lights the LED gauge, and Adey says readings are stored and uploaded when the connection returns.

How often do the Pro3 Sense batteries need changing?

Adey recommends new AA alkaline batteries every two years. A solid red LED after pressing the check button means low battery and 30 days to change them; when critically low the gauge stops reporting magnetite until they are replaced.

Can I fit the Pro3 Sense myself?

Adey recommends a qualified heating engineer. It is cut into a pressurised system, the warranty is registered through the installer's app, and the inhibitor should be re-dosed afterwards, so most households have it fitted at a boiler service.

Does the Pro3 Sense fit a combi boiler?

Yes. Adey's guide shows it on combi or sealed systems and open-vented ones, on 22mm pipework with bi-directional flow, rated to 6 bar and 95°C.