Live in a soft water system region and get smaller gas accounts
Live in a soft water system region and get smaller gas accounts
You can find a number of products that can be added to your central heating system to help it run smoother as well as some products that can take care of themselves. Irregardless of which you choose, you should take proper care of your central heating system, only then can it perform efficiently. You must have heard those environmental and government agents asking us to switch off our Television, lights etc when not in use, the room thermostats and washing machine temperatures should also be turned down to cut energy use and carbon dioxide production. These environmentally conscious steps not only save the greenery on our planet, but also save the pound notes in our wallet. 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.
Whether your water is hard or soft can play a crucial role in the life of your central heating system and water treatment can help here – to extend the healthy working of your system with products such as Fernox.
The term water treatment encompasses many different remedies for the protection of your system. Various products of water treatment are available like electronic line and magnetic filters, noise reducers, gunk removers, anti-freeze and scale reducers and inhibitors.
You can either get hard or soft water in UK, depending on the area you live in. Living in a hard water area means that you are prone to limescale your kettle probably being the first place that you will notice limescale deposits as well as on your showerhead and taps. Limescale not only reduces the efficiency of your system, but also increases your heating bills. A thin layer of limescale can increase your fuel bills by 40 percent. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. 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. Some will change one structure for another, others remove the offending structure and another will stop them from being able to make a solid leaving them in suspension.
There are different types of chemical test kits available that can help you to ascertain the corrosion potential of water by measuring the pH, chloride, iron and copper levels.
To begin with, you should make certain that your system has been assembled by a qualified individual, for example it’s important to have the simple knowledge that connecting aluminum and copper or brass triggers a corrosive reaction because that’s what happens when different metals are joined. The service technician fitting your gas connections should possess CORGI certification, this is now called Gas Safe and is a legal requirement.
Don’t rush in to making a decision, always carefully consider what type of water treatment you need with your particular system. Before using a water treatment remedy on your present system, ensure that the entire heating system is completely flushed out.
Products added to the mains supply can soften hard water and improve the quality of water for domestic use, but they do not prevent or remedy deterioration of the central heating system. You will be able to make lather with detergents and soaps more easily but your heating system will still have problems with efficiency.
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. Corrosion produces sludge and this prevents free circulation, this can eventually lead to formation of cold spots on radiators. Pinholes can appear in the radiators and if untreated the boiler can start making noises.
Hard water contains magnesium and calcium and these minerals deposit as limescale in the system. Deposits of these minerals leave hard crusts in the system when the water is heated. Limescale can again make the gas central heating system noisy.
Biological growth in the system is another one to avoid. They gets into the heating system through open tanks. After managing to enter the system, it spreads by creating slime and sludge. It can also cover the inside of the pipework resulting in clogs and negatively affecting the operation 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. It would be wise to take time to go through some of this information. I would start with the manufacturers themselves. Browse through some of the reputed water treatment companies and their acclaimed products on this page. You can also gain additional information and seek advice through different blogs or forums, some may be run by the manufacturers.
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 central heating system.