The heating boiler likes its water to be processed
The heating boiler likes its water to be processed
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. Either way, a well looked after heating system will run more efficiently for you. You must have heard those environmental and government agents asking us to switch off our Television, lights etc when not in use, the room thermostats and washing machine temperatures should also be turned down to cut energy use and carbon dioxide production. All of these are effective ways of saving energy which will not only help environmentally but also reduce many household energy bills. But, how will you make sure that your central heating system works efficiently? As the layers of sludge and limescale starts piling up, the efficiency of the system starts dwindling increasing your energy costs.
To stop the build up of limescale and gunk in your system particularly in hard water areas, then you need to take a look at water treatment.
Water treatment is a term used to cover many different ways of looking after 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. 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. These deposits decrease the cost-efficiency of your system which in turn increases your household bills. The energy cost in a boiler cylinder with limescale lining can be 40 percent more than a clean boiler leading to more expensive gas bills. Limescale deposits are simply composed of calcium. These problems are not seen in areas that get soft water, however in case of any doubt one should always seek advice.
A majority of water treatment methods alter the molecular structure of water and the associated particles, and thereby changes the way water behaves. One way of modification is to convert a structure completely to another, another is to take out the mischievous component, and yet another way is to prevent the structure from becoming solid, thus leaving its normal process unrealized.
There are different types of chemical test kits available that can help you to ascertain the corrosion potential of water by measuring the pH, chloride, iron and copper levels.
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 service technician fitting your gas connections should possess CORGI certification, this is now called Gas Safe and is a legal requirement.
Always plan before getting the new system installed; for instance, you should know what water treatment method should be used. However in case you are just updating your existing one, you can start with flushing the system and then think of any water treatment, there are chemicals you can add to your central heating system to reduce corrosion and sludge build up.
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. These solutions can make detergent and soaps to lather effortlessly, but they will not be able to help the heating system to work efficiently.
You basically need to prevent your system from three things, limescale deposits, biological growth and corrosion.
Corrosion can begin immediately after the water starts to fill up the system from the main source after installation. Due to corrosion sludge is produced, which in its turn creates cold spots in the radiator and stops circulation. Pinholes can appear in the radiators and if untreated the boiler can start making noises.
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.
Fungal and bacterial growth is another menace to vented heating systems. This problem occurs when tanks are open as they are in certain types of central heating system. After entering into the system, they starts breeding and produce slime and sludge. This material can really make your system under perform by clogging up the pipework.
A lot of free advice is available on the internet on how to get rid of biological growth. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. It is recommended that you begin with the producers of the various systems. This site contains a list of manufacturers, and the products that they produce and sell to help maintain your central heating. Forums and Blogs are another good source of free advice and wholesome information; you can also use these to directly get in touch with the suppliers.
All the best with your water treatment, let energy conserving central heating and hot water with lower home bills rule.