You heating boiler may want you to live somewhere else
You heating boiler may want you to live somewhere else
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. The point being that if you look after your system it will look after you. Our Government and environmental activists have been telling us to switch off lights, turn TVs completely off instead of leaving them on standby, and lower the temperature of our washing machines as well us the thermostats of our rooms. All these habits will result in lower household bills in addition to protecting the environment through energy saving. 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.
To prevent a mass of sludge and limescale from building up in your system, especially where the water is hard, you must try water treatment.
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 central heating 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 cost-efficiency of your system which in turn increases your household bills. A thin layer of limescale can increase your fuel bills by 40 percent. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. 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.
Most water treatments act by altering the molecular structure of the water and the particles therein and changing the way it 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.
You can find out the ph and chloride, iron and copper levels with chemical test kits, which will allow you to measure the likely corrosion rate in your system.
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.
You should decide about the water treatment well in advance, especially when you are installing a new heating system. It would be a good idea to completely flush your whole system before adding any water treatments.
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. 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. Your radiators can suffer from cold spots caused by restricted circulation as a result of sludge created in the system by corrosion. 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 central heating system noisy.
Biological growth in the system is another one to avoid. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. The biological growth advances rapidly in the form of a slimy lining. This material can really make your system under perform by clogging up the pipework.
You can learn more about these problems on the internet. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. I would start with the manufacturers themselves. You can find a list manufacturers and the popular items they carry in this site. You can also gain additional information and seek advice through different blogs or forums, some may be run by the manufacturers.
Good luck with your water treatment heres to energy efficient heating and hot water with lower household bills of course.