Your central heating boiler efficiency is impacted by where you stay
Your central heating boiler efficiency is impacted by where you stay
There are several products that serve as auxiliary items for your central heating system so that it operates normally, and then there are those that work independently to give you the service you want. In either case, your system will be well-prepared to work efficiently if you take the time to maintain it. 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 these habits will result in lower household bills in addition to protecting the environment through energy saving. But what about getting your gas central heating system to work more efficiently? The build up of sludge and limescale deposits in your central heating system will cause it to run less efficiently.
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.
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, gunk 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. If you spot limescale formation inside your kettle or bath taps, there is probably hard water running in your taps. Limescale not only reduces the efficiency of your system, but also increases your heating bills. A thin layer of limescale can increase your fuel bills by 40 percent. Limescale is nothing, but calcium deposits in your central heating system. 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. Some will change one structure for another, others remove the offending structure and another will stop them from being able to make a solid leaving them in suspension.
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.
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. All gas connections must be made by a CORGI registered tradesperson.
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. If you are updating your existing system you would be looking at flushing the whole system before adding any water treatment solutions.
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. You will be able to make lather with detergents and soaps more easily but your heating system will still have problems with efficiency.
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. Heat causes these minerals to precipitate and step by step encrust the inner lining of pipes, leading to blockage. Limescale can again make the central heating system noisy.
The next problem to deal with is the biological growth. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. 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.
Various forums and websites provide useful information on water treatment. Take some time to look through this. We recommend starting with the manufacturers themselves. This site contains a list of manufacturers, and the products that they produce and sell to help maintain your central heating. 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 cost-efficient on both kinds of green!.