The central heating system wishes its water system to be processed
The central heating system wishes its water system to be processed
There are many optional products that are available to add to your 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. Either way, a well looked after heating system will run more efficiently for you. We have all heard the advice from the Government and environmental agents telling us to turn off our lights, turn off televisions and not leaving them on standby, and reducing our washing machine temperature and room thermostats. By doing all this, you not only cut down on the electricity account, but also protect the environment. Are you paying the same attention to your central heating system? The heating system is also prone to reduced efficiency caused by corrosion, limescale formation and sludge buildup.
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’ is one that is used to describe various methods of taking care 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.
If you are living in UK, you should first ascertain the hardness of the water you are getting. 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. Your fuel bills can increase by 40% even with small deposits of limescale in your cylinder. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. If you live in a soft water region, then you need not worry about limescale that much; however, if you are unsure about the water quality, then without any faltering seek advice.
Many water treatments produce the desired effect by changing how water molecules and the particles inside act through modifications of their structure. 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.
The outlook for possible corrosion can be determined by monitoring pH and salt levels as well as ionic conditions, using standard chemical testing kits.
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. You must get your gas connections done by a person registered with CORGI as the law requires this.
Always plan before getting the new system installed; for instance, you should know what water treatment method should be used. 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 will help make detergents and soaps lather more readily but do not help in the fight to get your heating system working efficiently.
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. The residue from corrosive action causes clogging of the water flow and reduces uniform heat transfer through the radiators. 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. When the water is heated, these minerals deposit, forming a hard crust that grows with time and blocks the pipes. 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. This problem occurs when tanks are open as they are in certain types of central heating system. After entering into the system, they starts breeding and produce slime and gunk. If the growth occurs in pipework, it can decrease the efficacy of the entire system.
You can learn more about these problems on the internet. Take out time to go through a few pages of free advice. Kick-start with the manufacturers and their web sites. Some well known manufacturers and their popular products are listed in this site, such as Sentinel or Fernox. You can also find a lot of really useful information and tips through forums as well as speaking to suppliers directly with any specific questions that you may have.
In order to ensure that your central heating system works efficiently and your home bills are also cut, find out the best water treatment method and apply the recommended treatments annually.