Processing your regional water to help the central heating
Processing your regional water to help the central heating
There are many optional products that are available to add to your 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. Regardless, a gas central heating systems that’s given proper care will work for you smoothly. 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 televisions off and turning down thermostats. All the above enlisted ways effectively save energy, protect the environment and bring down the electricity bill. But what about getting your 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.
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. Many types of water treatment products such as scale reducers and inhibitors, magnetic and electronic anti-lime mechanisms, sludge destroyers, noise reducers and anti-freeze can be used for water treatment.
The UK has water types ranging from hard to soft based on the region where you live. If you find a build up of limescale in your kettle and on your shower head you probable live in a hard water area. Any collection of limescale will make your system run less economically and therefore increase your heating bill. A thin layer of limescale can increase your fuel bills by 40 percent. These are basically calcium deposits solidifying from the water. Soft water area residents should not worry too much, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for help if you are not so sure.
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.
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. 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. If you are upgrading your current system, you must cleanse your whole system before any water treatment chemicals are added.
It is worth noting that mains water supplies heating systems, but that any system you use to soften water will not help with any central heating problems that you may be having. They do not alter the efficiency of your system, they only allow soaps and detergents to produce more lather when washing clothes.
The three main things that you need to prevent are corrosion, limescale and biological growth.
Corrosion can start from the moment the system is set up and filled with water from the mains supply. The residue from corrosive action causes clogging of the water flow and reduces uniform heat transfer through the radiators. 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. The high temperature of the water causes these elements to become hard and crusty, leaving deposits behind that clog pipes etc. A vibrating and wheezing heating system can be a real nuisance.
You should also be wary of biological growth. The growth enters the system through open tanks in certain types of heating system. It establishes itself in the system and then produces sludge and slime. In addition to the tank, they grow into the pipes and block them; thereby the efficiency of the system is further reduced.
There is a lot of free advice on the internet. Please spare some time and go through this or read the other informative articles in this site. Producers of water treatment products provide detailed data and user references on their websites. Some well known manufacturers and their popular products are listed in this site, such as Sentinel or Fernox. 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.
So wish you all the best for your water treatment, make sure you chose the one that is effective and at the same time cuts your household bills by helping you maintain an efficient central heating system.