Where you are can touch upon your central heating boiler
Where you are can touch upon your central heating boiler
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. The point being that if you look after your system it will look after you. Environmental agencies and local authorities constantly advise us to economise our carbon footprint by switching off unneeded lights and electric devices and by setting our thermostats at lower temperatures. These energy saving tips are not only good for the environment, but also great for keeping your bills down at times of high energy prices. What is the best way to get your central heating system to work more economically? With the accumulation of the likes of limescale and gunk in your system will make it less efficient.
You should be thinking about water treatment to stop this accumulation of sludge 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. Magnetic/electronic lime fighters, scale reducers/inhibitors, sludge reducers, noise reducers and anti-freeze are examples of the type of water treatment products that are available to you.
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. These deposits decrease the efficiency of your system which in turn increases your household bills. A tiny layer of scale inside the cylinder of your hot water can augment your fuel cost by up to 40%. Limescale is nothing, but calcium deposits in your central heating system. 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. 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 chemical test kits which will measure the ph and chloride levels and also the iron and copper levels so that you can measure the probable corrosion potential and rate.
It is very important to make sure that your system is put in by someone who knows what they’re doing as they will be aware of things like not connecting aluminium to copper or brass, which can cause corrosion. Every gas connection should be carried out by a CORGI, Gas Safe, registered professional.
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.
Heating systems take water from the mains water supply and there are various systems that you can attach to your mains supply to deal with hard water problems, however, it is worth noting that systems that are put in to soften water in your home are only for household use and will do nothing for your central heating system problems. They do not alter the efficiency of your system, they only allow soaps and detergents to produce more lather when washing clothes.
Corrosion, limescale and biological growth are the three prominent things you need to stop.
Right from the time the system is installed and commissioned, internal conditions can cause corrosion to set in. Your radiators can suffer from cold spots caused by restricted circulation as a result of sludge created in the system by corrosion. Pinholes can appear in the radiators and if untreated the boiler can start making noises.
Hard water has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium salts which cause limescale deposits within the system. Once the water is heated it leaves deposits of these minerals which form a hard crust, building up over time and blocking pipes etc. This again can manifest itself with a noisy heating system.
Biological growth inside the system is another hazard that must be prevented. The growth enters the system through open tanks in certain types of heating system. Once in the system it breeds producing slime and sludge. This can also grow and cause blockages in the pipework thereby reducing the efficiency of the whole system.
You can find a lot of information and advice on how to deal with these problems on the internet and in this site. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. It is recommended that you begin with the manufacturers 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. Besides inquiring for information with company sources, you should also read opinions on specialised blogs.
In order to ensure that your central heating system works efficiently and your family bills are also cut, find out the best water treatment method and apply the recommended treatments every year.
