Where you stay can touch upon your central heating boiler
Where you stay can touch upon your central heating boiler
There are several products that serve as auxiliary items for your central heating system so that it functions normally, and then there are those that work independently to give you the service you want. The point being that if you look after your system it will look after you. It is now well known, thanks to advice given by governments and environmental organisations, that we should save energy wherever possible by turning off lights, washing clothes at lower temperatures, switching TVs off and turning down thermostats. These energy saving hints are not only good for the environment, but also great for keeping your bills down at times of high energy costs. 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 stop the build up of limescale and sludge in your system particularly in hard water areas, then you need to take a look at water treatment.
The term water treatment encompasses many different remedies for the protection of your system. A wide range of water treatment products including scale reducers and inhibitors, magnetic and electronic lime fighters, sludge removers, noise reducers and anti-freeze are available.
Living in the UK means that depending on whereabouts you are in the country, your water can range from hard to soft. Limescale deposits are common in areas that get hard water, and these deposits are first seen on kettles, taps and shower heads. Any collection of limescale will make your system run less economically and therefore increase your heating bill. You may be surprised to hear that you bills can increase by as much as 40% with just a thin layer of limescale in your hot water cylinder. Limescale is simply calcium deposits in your system. Although those living in soft water areas will not have to take as many provisions, if you are unsure you should still get professional advice.
The way that most water treatments work is by changing the molecular structure of the water’s particles which, in turn alters the way it behaves. It can do this in different ways for example, by changing one structure for another, by taking away a structure or by inhibiting the structure from becoming solid.
Chemical test kits are available that allow you to check the probability and speed of corrosion by gauging the levels of ph, chloride, iron and copper.
The first thing that you need to do is to determine whether your system has been installed by a competent person or not; if different metals like aluminum and copper or brass are connected together, corrosion will set in immediately. The gas connections should be made only by a trades person, who is Gas Safe registered (with CORGI).
You should decide about the water treatment well in advance, especially when you are installing a new heating system. If you are revamping the old system, you should rinse out the whole system before adding the water treatment method.
The central heating system will take water from the main pipeline, and in this line, even if a functional water treatment method is already there to tackle the problem of hard water this method will be of no use for your heating system. They do not alter the efficiency of your system, they only allow soaps and detergents to produce more lather when washing clothes.
Corrosion, limescale and biological growth are the three things that you should be looking to limit or stop from occurring.
Right from the time the system is installed and commissioned, internal conditions can cause corrosion to set in. Corrosion causes gunk in the system which can restrict the circulation causing cold spots on your radiators. Pinholes can appear in the radiators and if untreated the boiler can start making noises.
The calcium and magnesium present in hard water is responsible for limescale deposits. When the water is heated, these minerals deposit, forming a hard crust that grows with time and blocks the pipes. This again can manifest itself with a noisy heating system.
Biological growth is another thing that should be avoided at all costs. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. It establishes itself in the system and then produces sludge and slime. This sludge stagnates in the plumbing and slows down the flow of hot water.
You can learn more about these problems on the internet. Take out time to go through a few pages of free advice. It is recommended that you begin with the producers of the various systems. Browse through some of the reputed water treatment companies and their acclaimed products on this page. You can also gain additional information and seek advice through different blogs or forums, some may be run by the manufacturers.
Now you should be able to choose and install an effective heating system which is enjoyable, healthy and economical on both kinds of green!.