Fernox
Fernox is a UK-founded (1964) manufacturer of chemical water treatments, neodymium-magnet filtration systems, and digital water-testing services for residential, commercial, and renewable heating systems, distributed via plumbers' merchants across 25+ countries.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersWoking, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Fernox does
Fernox, founded in 1964 in Woking, United Kingdom, is the world's first chemical water treatment company and a manufacturer of chemical, filtration, and digital products for residential, commercial, and renewable heating systems. Its core portfolio comprises chemical inhibitors (Protector F1 and Express variants), citrate-based cleaners (F3, F8), repair products (Leak Sealer F4), the TF1 Sigma family of neodymium-magnet in-line filters, renewable-specific heat transfer chemicals and antifreeze valves, and digital services including a water testing mobile application and web portal. The underlying technology combines proprietary chemical formulations, magnetic debris capture, and standards-compliant dosing protocols (BS 7593:2019) approved by all major boiler manufacturers, with the digital layer facilitating water testing sample submission and warranty management.
The company operates a channel-led go-to-market model, distributing products primarily through plumbers' merchants and distributors across 25+ countries in Europe plus selected markets in North America and Asia, and reaching end users directly through its e-commerce site and mobile application. Revenue is generated through unit-priced chemical consumables, hardware sales of filtration equipment and accessories, glycol-based heat transfer fluids for renewable systems, professional water testing services (with 10-year sample retention for warranty support), and installer training programs. Fernox targets two primary buyer personas: professional heating engineers and installers, who act as key product specifiers, and residential homeowners seeking boiler efficiency, warranty compliance, and reduced energy bills. Secondary segments include commercial buildings and renewable/heat pump system installers. Fernox is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Element Solutions Inc (NYSE: ESI), a publicly traded diversified specialty chemicals company, and operates under the legal entity Fernox Ltd.
Fernox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fernox
- Legal name
- Fernox Ltd.
- Website
- https://fernox.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Fernox is a UK-founded (1964) manufacturer of chemical water treatments, neodymium-magnet filtration systems, and digital water-testing services for residential, commercial, and renewable heating systems, distributed via plumbers' merchants across 25+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fernox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Treatment Chemicals
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Closed-Loop Heating/Chilled Water Treatment (Corrosion/Scale/Biocide) (BPABAJAE), Biocides & Disinfection Chemicals (Non-Agricultural) (IMAEAJAL)
Keywords
Where Fernox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Woking
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Fernox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chemical Water Treatment Products: Core revenue from chemical formulations including inhibitors, cleaners, repair products, bacterial control, and scale control products for residential, commercial, and renewable heating systems. Products sold as consumables in various pack sizes (500ml, 400ml).
- Filtration Equipment: Sale of physical filter products including TF1 Sigma filters, TF1 Sigma Mini, and related accessories. Revenue from both initial filter sales and ongoing spare parts.
- Heat Transfer Chemicals: Inhibited glycol products for commercial and renewable energy applications including geothermal and air source heat pump systems.
- Test Equipment and Services: On-site and postal water testing services facilitated through the Fernox App. Water testing submissions retained for 10 years to support extended warranty requirements.
- Training Services: Water treatment training programs for installers and heating professionals offered through dedicated training pages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chemical Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Fernox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fernox manufactures and sells chemical water treatment products and physical filtration systems for central heating, commercial, and renewable energy systems. Its core product lines include corrosion and limescale inhibitors (Protector F1 range), chemical cleaners (F3, F8), leak sealers, neodymium magnet filters (TF1 Sigma range), heat transfer glycols, and an ISO/IEC 27001-certified mobile application for water testing and warranty management, serving installers, merchants, and homeowners across 25+ countries.
Product overview
Fernox is a water treatment and heating system protection company offering a comprehensive portfolio of chemical treatments, filtration systems, and digital services for residential, commercial, and renewable heating applications. The core product lines include: Protector F1 (inhibitors) and Express F1 (fast-dosing variants) for corrosion and scale prevention; Cleaner F3 and Power Cleaner F8 (citrate-based cleaners) for system cleaning; TF1 filter family (Sigma, Sigma Mini, Sigma UB, Sigma HP) using neodymium magnets for debris removal; TF1 Antifreeze Valve for heat pump protection; and Leak Sealer F4 for repair. The company also provides digital tools including a mobile application for water testing sample submission and warranty management, plus a web portal for sample monitoring. Chemical products are supplemented by test equipment (Express Inhibitor Test, on-site and postal testing services) and heat transfer glycols for renewable systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Protector F1 (500ml)
Quantifiable outcome
- Protector F1 500ml treats up to 97% of UK homes with one bottle
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Fernox
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Fernox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Fernox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fernox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sentinel Performance Solutions: UK-based manufacturer of chemical water treatment products for central heating systems. Most direct competitor to Fernox's inhibitor, cleaner and filter portfolio, serving the same installer and merchant channels.
- ADEY Professional Heating Solutions: UK specialist in magnetic system filters and chemical water treatment for boilers. Competes head-to-head with Fernox's TF1 Sigma filter range and chemical inhibitors in the residential installer channel.
- Spirotech: Netherlands-based manufacturer of air and dirt separation equipment plus water treatment chemicals for hydronic heating systems. Directly comparable product mix to Fernox's commercial and renewable ranges.
- Caleffi: Italian manufacturer of hydronic components, including dirt separators, air vents and water treatment accessories for heating systems. Overlaps with Fernox's commercial chemicals and device portfolio across European installer channels.
Broad incumbents
- BWT AG: European water technology group offering water treatment chemicals, filters and dosing systems across residential, commercial and industrial segments. Significantly broader portfolio than Fernox, with overlapping specialty chemical capabilities.
- Watts Water Technologies: Global manufacturer of water treatment, plumbing and flow control products. Overlaps with Fernox in chemical water treatment and filtration for heating systems as part of a much wider product portfolio.
- Grundfos: Global pump and water solutions company with growing water treatment and dosing offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent moving into heating-system water quality adjacencies relevant to Fernox.
- Resideo Technologies: Spun out of Honeywell, Resideo sells water treatment, filtration and HVAC products globally through professional channels. Comparable go-to-market and adjacent product overlap with Fernox's installer-led model.
- Ideal Heating: Major UK boiler manufacturer offering its own branded system filters and treatment chemicals. Vertically adjacent competitor shaping installer choice and warranty requirements that affect Fernox demand.
- Xylem: Global water technology company with chemical dosing, treatment and analytics products for residential and commercial water systems. Provides a public-market comparable for specialty water-treatment chemical businesses.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fernox social profiles
Digital presenceFernox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fernox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Fernox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fernox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fernox
What does Fernox do?
Fernox manufactures and sells chemical water treatment products and physical filtration systems for central heating, commercial, and renewable energy systems. Its core product lines include corrosion and limescale inhibitors (Protector F1 range), chemical cleaners (F3, F8), leak sealers, neodymium magnet filters (TF1 Sigma range), heat transfer glycols, and an ISO/IEC 27001-certified mobile application for water testing and warranty management, serving installers, merchants, and homeowners across 25+ countries.
Is Fernox a public or private company?
Fernox is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Fernox founded?
Fernox was founded in 1964. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Fernox based?
Fernox is headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Fernox make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Chemical Water Treatment Products are the primary driver. The others are filtration Equipment, heat Transfer Chemicals, test Equipment and Services and training Services.
Who are Fernox's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sentinel Performance Solutions, ADEY Professional Heating Solutions, Spirotech and Caleffi. Broad incumbents are BWT AG, Watts Water Technologies, Grundfos, Resideo Technologies, Ideal Heating and Xylem.
Does Fernox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fernox.
What industry is Fernox in?
Fernox's product category is Water Treatment Chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEABAN, Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals, with a secondary code of BPABAJAE, Closed-Loop Heating/Chilled Water Treatment (Corrosion/Scale/Biocide). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2890.