Are you impacting your boiler with the wrong water system
Are you impacting your boiler with the wrong water system
There are many optional products that are available to add to your central heating system to keep it running on a regular basis, and there are others that you can install and let them do the work for you day by day. In either case, your system will be well-prepared to work efficiently if you take the time to maintain it. Environmental agencies and local authorities constantly advise us to economise our carbon footprint by switching off unneeded lights and electric devices and by setting our thermostats at lower temperatures. By doing all this, you not only cut down on the electricity bill, but also protect the environment. Are you paying the same attention to your central heating system? The heating system is also prone to reduced efficiency caused by corrosion, limescale formation and sludge buildup.
To prevent a mass of sludge and limescale from building up in your system, especially where the water is hard, you must try water treatment.
Water treatment refers to several aspects of taking care of your central heating system. A wide assortment of water treatment products is easily available like gunk remover, scale reducer, anti-freeze, magnetic scale fighter, noise reducer, electronic scale inhibitor, and the like.
In the UK, depending on where you live, your water could range between hard and soft. Living in a hard water area means that you are prone to limescale your kettle probably being the first place that you will notice limescale deposits as well as on your showerhead and taps. Central Heating bills grow as a result of efficiency reduction caused by limescale. You may be surprised to hear that you bills can increase by as much as forty percent with just a thin layer of limescale in your hot water cylinder. When calcium carbonate precipitates out of the hard water, it forms limescale inside the boiler. Soft water which contains less calcium salts is less prone to this scale formation, however it is advisable to test the water and take precautions.
A majority of water treatment methods alter the molecular structure of water and the associated particles, and thereby changes the way water behaves. These products can neutralize limescale, loosen and remove hard deposits or even maintain the residual salts in suspension form to be flushed out periodically.
There are chemical test kits which will measure the ph and chloride levels and also the iron and copper levels so that you can measure the probable corrosion potential and rate.
To begin with, you should make certain that your system has been assembled by a qualified individual, for example it’s important to have the simple knowledge that connecting aluminum and copper or brass triggers a corrosive reaction because that’s what happens when different metals are joined. The gas connections should be made only by a trades person, who is Gas Safe registered (with CORGI).
Always plan before getting the new system installed; for instance, you should know what water treatment method should be used. Before using a water treatment remedy on your present system, ensure that the entire heating system is completely flushed out.
Heating systems get their supply of water from the main water source of your household and many mechanisms can be connected to the main source to solve water issues, yet, you should keep in mind that water softening systems installed for your home are only meant to serve your household needs and will not help with the hard water problem affecting your central heating system. These solutions can make detergent and soaps to lather effortlessly, but they will not be able to help the heating system to work efficiently.
The three main things that you need to prevent are corrosion, limescale and biological growth.
The first problem that you may have to face is corrosion, it can start as soon as the system is installed and filled with water. Corrosion produces sludge and this prevents free circulation, this can eventually lead to formation of cold spots on radiators. It can cause pinholes in the radiators and if left can cause the boiler to become noisy.
Limescale results from the presence of calcium and magnesium in water, hard water regions have these elements more than the rest of the country. When the water is heated, these minerals deposit, forming a hard crust that grows with time and blocks the pipes. A vibrating and wheezing heating system can be a real nuisance.
Biological growth in the system is another one to avoid. This problem occurs when tanks are open as they are in certain types of central heating system. After the biological matter gets into the tank it begins to breed and produces sludge and slime. It can also cover the inside of the pipework resulting in clogs and negatively affecting the operation of the whole system.
You can learn more about these problems on the internet. Take some time to look through this. It is recommended that you begin with the producers of the various systems. Below is a list of manufacturers and some of the popular products they have available. You can also gain additional information and seek advice through different blogs or forums, some may be run by the manufacturers.
All the best with your water treatment, let energy conserving central heating and hot water with lower household bills rule.