Can you service your gas boiler with softer water
Can you service your gas boiler with softer water
There are several products that serve as auxiliary items for your central heating system so that it functions normally, and then there are those that work independently to give you the service you want. Irregardless of which you choose, you should take proper care of your central 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. What is the best way to get your central heating system to work more economically? With the accumulation of the likes of limescale and sludge in your system will make it less efficient.
If you live in a region where hard water is being supplied, then you should look for water treatment methods to prevent gunk and limescale from damaging your central heating system.
The lifeblood of your heating system is the water that runs through it – Water Treatment maintains that water at an optimal quality to prevent damage and breakdown of the heating system. A wide range of water treatment products including scale reducers and inhibitors, magnetic and electronic lime fighters, gunk 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. Limescale reduces efficiency and adds to heating bills. Your fuel bills can increase by 40% even with small deposits of limescale in your cylinder. Limescale deposits are simply composed of calcium. Soft water which contains less calcium salts is less prone to this scale formation, however it is advisable to test the water and take precautions.
Many water treatments produce the desired effect by changing how water molecules and the particles inside act through modifications of their structure. Water treatment works in different ways, it can change the structure or prevent the formation of solid or remove the offending particle altogether.
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. The service technician fitting your gas connections should possess CORGI certification, this is now called Gas Safe and is a legal requirement.
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. These water softening chemicals can produce better lather and are good for your skin, but they cannot reverse the choking and pitting inside the heating system.
Corrosion, limescale and biological growth are the three things that you should be looking to limit or stop from occurring.
Corrosion can start from the moment the system is set up and filled with water from the mains supply. One of the symptoms of corrosion is cold spots in your radiators because sludge in the system prevents the water circulating properly. 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. When the water is heated, these minerals deposit, forming a hard crust that grows with time and blocks the pipes. This can be another cause of the boiler making strange noises.
You should also be wary of biological growth. They gets into the heating system through open tanks. After entering into the system, they starts breeding and produce 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.
Plenty of free help is available on the internet. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. I would start with the manufacturers themselves. 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.
Good luck with your water treatment heres to energy efficient heating and hot water with lower household bills of course.