What can you put in your water to help your boiler
What can you put in your water to help your boiler
Nowadays a typical house is fitted with dozens of automatic appliances and systems to provide homeowners with a convenient life. Irregardless of which you choose, you should take proper care of your heating system, only then can it perform efficiently. The Government and environmental agencies repeatedly tell us about the ways to conserve energy like switching off the lights and appliances when not in use, re-adjusting the temperature of the room and washing machine according to the needs, and not leaving any electrical device in the standby mode. All the above enlisted ways effectively save energy, protect the environment and bring down the electricity bill. 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 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. 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.
In the UK, depending on where you live, your water could range between hard and soft. If you spot limescale formation inside your kettle or bath taps, there is probably hard water running in your taps. Any accumulation of limescale will make your system run less economically and therefore increase your heating bill. Just a small, thin layer of scale in your hot water cylinder can increase your fuel bills by as much as forty percent. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. Soft water area residents should not worry too much, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for help if you are not so sure.
Most water treatments act by altering the molecular structure of the water and the particles therein and changing the way it 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. The gas connections should be made only by a trades person, who is Gas Safe registered (with CORGI).
If you plan ahead of time while having a new system assembled, you will be able to identify the water treatments you need and have some of them installed with your system. If you are upgrading your current system, you must cleanse your whole system before any water treatment chemicals are added.
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. They will help make detergents and soaps lather more readily but do not help in the fight to get your heating system working efficiently.
Limescale formation, acidic corrosion and bio-chemical sludge are the main causes of heating system damage.
From the very instant your heating system is in place corrosion can begin. Due to corrosion sludge is produced, which in its turn creates cold spots in the radiator and stops circulation. Gradual pitting can perforate the metal piping, causing the boiler or radiators to rattle.
Hard water contains magnesium and calcium and these minerals deposit as limescale in 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. This can be another cause of the central heating boiler making strange noises.
Biological growth is another thing that should be avoided at all costs. They gets into the heating system through open tanks. Once in the system it breeds producing slime and sludge. In addition to the tank, they grow into the pipes and block them; thereby the efficiency of the system is further reduced.
You can learn more about these problems on the internet. Take out time to go through a few pages of free advice. We recommend starting with the manufacturers themselves. Browse through some of the reputed water treatment companies and their acclaimed products on this page. Besides inquiring for information with company sources, you should also read opinions on specialised blogs.
So wish you all the best for your water treatment, make sure you chose the one that is effective and at the same time reduces your household costs by helping you maintain an efficient gas central heating system.
