Your boiler likes its water system to be treated
Your boiler likes its water system to be treated
You can find a number of products that can be added to your heating system to help it run smoother as well as some products that can take care of themselves. In either case, your system will be well-prepared to work efficiently if you take the time to maintain it. Our Government and environmental activists have been telling us to switch off lights, turn TVs completely off instead of leaving them on standby, and lower the temperature of our washing machines as well us the thermostats of our rooms. All of these are effective ways of saving energy which will not only help environmentally but also reduce many household energy bills. But how about making your central heating system operate more effectively? The accumulation of gunk and limescale deposits in your central heating system will reduce its efficiency.
You should be thinking about water treatment to stop this accumulation of gunk and limescale, especially if you live in a hard water area.
The term ‘water treatment’ is one that is used to describe various methods of taking care of your system. Many types of water treatment products such as scale reducers and inhibitors, magnetic and electronic anti-lime mechanisms, gunk destroyers, noise reducers and anti-freeze can be used for water treatment.
Living in the UK means that depending on whereabouts you are in the country, your water can range from hard to soft. Hard water exposes you to limescale — your kettle, shower head and taps being the most probable areas where you first notice limescale masses. These deposits decrease the efficiency of your system which in turn increases your household bills. A tiny layer of scale inside the cylinder of your hot water can augment your fuel cost by up to 40%. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. Those who live in soft water areas need not take quite so many precautions but it is always wise to seek advice if you are unsure.
The water treatment options work by changing water’s molecular structure, it changes the way water behaves. Water treatment works in different ways, it can change the structure or prevent the formation of solid or remove the offending particle altogether.
If you want to determine the corrosion rate inside your heating system, you can do so by using these chemical kits which measure the chloride, copper and iron levels and measure the pH.
Remember that when two different metals are connected (for example- aluminium and brass), an anode and cathode polarity is created thus starting the process of corrosion; this is something that a competent technician should watch out for when installing your system. You must get your gas connections done by a person registered with CORGI as the law requires this.
It is a good idea to plan ahead, if you are having a new system installed, think which water treatment you will require as some can be fitted to your system. It would be a good idea to completely flush your whole system before adding any water treatments.
Products added to the mains supply can soften hard water and improve the quality of water for domestic use, but they do not prevent or remedy deterioration of the 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.
With regards to heating systems, you have to prevent three important things viz,limescale, corrosion and biological growth.
Corrosion can start from the moment the system is set up and filled with water from the mains supply. Due to corrosion sludge is produced, which in its turn creates cold spots in the radiator and stops circulation. Pinholes can also appear in the radiator and if the problem is not sorted out in good time your boiler could start to make noises.
Hard water has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium salts which cause limescale deposits within the system. The deposits thicken when the water is heated, this leads to formation of a hard crust over a period which eventually blocks pipes etc. A vibrating and wheezing heating system can be a real nuisance.
Biological growth in the system is another one to avoid. Minute organisms can enter through the vents and storage tanks of the boiler. After the biological matter gets into the tank it begins to breed and produces gunk and slime. This material can really make your system under perform by clogging up the pipework.
Plenty of free help is available on the net. Take out time to go through a few pages of free advice. Lets first have a look at the manufacturers. This site contains a list of manufacturers, and the products that they produce and sell to help maintain your central heating. You can also find a lot of really useful information and tips through forums as well as speaking to suppliers directly with any specific questions that you may have.
So wish you all the best for your water treatment, make sure you chose the one that is effective and at the same time shrinks your household bills by helping you maintain an efficient central heating system.