Can you service your boiler with softer water supply
Can you service your boiler with softer water supply
There are innumerable products available in the market that you can add to your central heating system to ensure that it runs properly, and there are several other products that can do work for you even in standalone mode. The point being that if you look after your system it will look after you. 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 about making your central heating system operate more effectively? The accumulation of sludge and limescale deposits in your central heating system will reduce its efficiency.
You should be thinking about water treatment to stop this accumulation of gunk and limescale, especially if you live in a hard water area.
Water treatment is a term used to cover many different ways of looking after 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.
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. Just a small, thin layer of scale in your hot water cylinder can increase your fuel bills by as much as forty percent. These are basically calcium deposits solidifying from the water. Those who live in soft water areas need not take quite so many precautions but it is always wise to seek advice if you are unsure.
The way that most water treatments work is by changing the molecular structure of the water’s particles which, in turn alters 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.
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.
First, you must ensure that your system has been installed by a competent person just knowing that you must never directly connect aluminium to copper or brass because simply by connecting different metals can start a reaction which causes corrosion. Every gas connection should be carried out by a CORGI, Gas Safe, registered professional.
Don’t rush in to making a decision, always carefully consider what type of water treatment you need with your particular system. It would be a good idea to completely flush your whole system before adding any water treatments.
The mains water supply provides water to the heating systems, one can fix various other systems with the mains supply in order to deal with the problem of hard water, however these systems that soften the water work only for your household, they don’t do much about the problems associated with the central heating system. They do not alter the efficiency of your system, they only allow soaps and detergents to produce more lather when washing clothes.
You basically need to prevent your system from three things, limescale deposits, biological growth and corrosion.
From the very instant your heating system is in place corrosion can begin. One of the symptoms of corrosion is cold spots in your radiators because gunk in the system prevents the water circulating properly. Gradual pitting can perforate the metal piping, causing the boiler or radiators to rattle.
Limescale results from the presence of calcium and magnesium in water, hard water regions have these elements more than the rest of the country. Deposits of these minerals leave hard crusts in the system when the water is heated. A vibrating and wheezing heating system can be a real nuisance.
Biological growth is another thing that should be avoided at all costs. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. Once in the system it breeds producing slime and gunk. If the growth occurs in pipework, it can decrease the efficacy of the entire system.
Plenty of free help is available on the internet. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. Manufacturers of water treatment products provide detailed data and user references on their websites. You can find a list manufacturers and the popular items they carry in this site. 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.
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.