You boiler may want you to live someplace else
You boiler may want you to live someplace else
You can find a number of products that can be added to your heating system to help it run smoother as well as some products that can take care of themselves. Any household system, be it a refrigerator or television set or electrical wiring, will function better and more economically if it is well maintained. 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 costs down at times of high energy costs. 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.
It usually happens in areas where hard water is present, you can go for water treatment to avoid these deposits.
The term water treatment encompasses many different remedies for the protection of your system. A wide assortment of water treatment products is easily available like gunk remover, scale reducer, anti-freeze, magnetic scale fighter, noise reducer, electronic scale inhibitor, and the like.
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. Limescale not only reduces the efficiency of your system, but also increases your heating bills. Your fuel bills can increase by forty percent even with small deposits of limescale in your cylinder. 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.
A majority of water treatment methods alter the molecular structure of water and the associated particles, and thereby changes the way water 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.
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 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.
Heating systems get their supply of water from the main water source of your household and many mechanisms can be connected to the main source to solve water issues, yet, you should keep in mind that water softening systems installed for your home are only meant to serve your household needs and will not help with the hard water problem affecting your central heating system. They will not have any effect on how efficiently your system works, but they will make detergents and soaps lather up more easily.
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. Corrosion causes gunk in the system which can restrict the circulation causing cold spots on your radiators. If left as such, it can lead to the formation of pinholes in the radiator, and it will also make the boiler noisy.
Hard water has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium salts which cause limescale deposits within the system. The high temperature of the water causes these elements to become hard and crusty, leaving deposits behind that clog pipes etc. This can also make the system noisy and uneconomical, you will be paying for energy that does not heat your home.
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. After managing to enter the system, it spreads by creating slime and gunk. In addition to the tank, they grow into the pipes and block them; thereby the efficiency of the system is further reduced.
A lot of free advice is available on the internet on how to get rid of biological growth. It would be wise to take time to go through some of this information. I would start 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. Blogs also offer ample source of free help and information or you can contact the companies with any questions.
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 bills by helping you maintain an efficient central heating system.