Can you service your boiler with softer water
Can you service your boiler with softer water
You can find a number of products that can be added to your central heating system to help it run smoother as well as some products that can take care of themselves. Either way, a well looked after central heating system will run more efficiently for you. 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 what about getting your central heating system to work more efficiently? The build up of gunk and limescale deposits in your central heating system will cause it to run less efficiently.
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 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. If you are living in hard water region, then you will be more susceptible to limescale attacks; you can notice deposits in your kettle, tap and shower head. Central Heating bills grow as a result of efficiency reduction caused by limescale. Just a small, thin layer of scale in your hot water cylinder can increase your fuel bills by as much as 40%. These are basically calcium deposits solidifying from the water. These problems are not seen in areas that get soft water, however in case of any doubt one should always seek 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.
The outlook for possible corrosion can be determined by monitoring pH and salt levels as well as ionic conditions, using standard chemical testing kits.
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).
If you anticipate hard water problems, you can fit out your new central heating system with a suitable water treatment attachment. If you are updating your existing system you would be looking at flushing the whole system before adding any water treatment solutions.
The mains water supply provides water to the heating systems, one can fix various other systems with the mains supply in order to deal with the problem of hard water, however these systems that soften the water work only for your household, they don’t do much about the problems associated with the central 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.
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. Corrosion produces gunk and this prevents free circulation, this can eventually lead to formation of cold spots on radiators. Pinholes can appear in the radiators and if untreated the boiler can start making noises.
In hard water areas the calcium and magnesium in the water causes limescale. The deposits thicken when the water is heated, this leads to formation of a hard crust over a period which eventually blocks pipes etc. This again can manifest itself with a noisy heating system.
Fungal and bacterial growth is another menace to vented heating systems. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. After entering into the system, they starts breeding and produce slime and sludge. This gunk stagnates in the plumbing and slows down the flow of hot water.
Various forums and websites provide useful information on water treatment. It would be wise to take time to go through some of this information. Lets first have a look at the manufacturers. Browse through some of the reputed water treatment companies and their acclaimed products on this page. 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.
Now you should be able to choose and install an effective central heating system which is enjoyable, healthy and economical on both kinds of green!.