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Hydro separator

MPJ347
MPJ347 Member Posts: 19
in THE MAIN WALL
Hello All,
I'm going to be doing my first installation of a Celeffi hydro separator. Can anyone tell me the difference between the 549 and 548, beside the magnet? If the only difference is the magnet, is it worth the cost upgrade?
Thanks

Comments

  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,609
    @hot rod
    Will have the best answer for this.
    As far as the magnet goes, what type of system, old/new, copper/iron/pex? How is the water?
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • MPJ347
    MPJ347 Member Posts: 19
    System is 15 years old. Fan cois and radiant. Copper piping with pex tubing. Not sure about the water.
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    It's like a car. I get as many bells and whistles as I can afford. The magnet is like heated seats. I'd go with it.
  • MPJ347
    MPJ347 Member Posts: 19
    Thanks John.
    I going to order one tomorrow.
  • MPJ347
    MPJ347 Member Posts: 19
    I had time and ordered it today. I was told one two weeks out. That made my decision easier. Going with the 548.
    Thanks again.
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,786
    Either will do an excellent job of separation, air, and dirt removal.

    The 549 has an additional magnetic band and it help protect ECM type circulators from attracting magnetic particles to the permanent magnet rotor inside them.

    Granted not all systems have conditions that could cause the formation of magnetite, but it is a good, additional protection device.

    A system with non barrier tubing would be a good candidate for magnetic separation, especially if an ECM circulator will be added someday.

    I predict soon we will see only ECM type circulators. The DOE just required all pumps over 1 hp must meet the high efficiency standards, fractional horsepower pumps may soon follow. I think Dan had an article about that in a recent newsletter.

    It is required in the Euro bloc countries that ECM circs be installed., no more PSC motors.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • BigRob
    BigRob Member Posts: 322
    Our condo building has a SEP4 and I'm really happy with it. The system was neglected and abused for years. At some point, there had been a leak that generated buckets of iron oxide sand. Nobody figured it. My buddy and I had to "plunge" out the plugs with air on one side, water on the other. Once free it was like striking oil. Before the SEP4, we had the caleffi model without the dirt screen and magnet. One of the pros installed it. It collected some residual crud. We wanted to run a tight ship and get all the junk out and upgraded to a SEP4. It definitely screened out more crud and stopped at one point. We recently added some Rhomar 9100 and was wondering why the fluid still seemed clear-ish - then remembered the magnetic band. I removed the band and filled a cup with sludge. Over the next week I did the same until it was as clear as the treated water, then flushed the system and added Rhomar 922. I think air/dirt seperation is good insurance. I can't tell you how many problems and how much money that leak and iron oxide caused the building - from improper diagnoses, to poor performance, to the major PITA of cleaning the system. A couple hundred bucks for a good dirt mag is a no brainier. I am very happy with the SEP4.

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