What can you put in your water supply to help your central heating
What can you put in your water supply to help your central heating
Manufacturers have made multiple products and services that you can add to your central heating system to help it to perform efficiently for a longer period of time. In either case, your system will be well-prepared to work efficiently if you take the time to maintain it. It is now well known, thanks to advice given by governments and environmental organisations, that we should save energy wherever possible by turning off lights, washing clothes at lower temperatures, switching televisions off and turning down thermostats. These environmentally conscious steps not only save the greenery on our planet, but also save the pound notes in our wallet. So how to make your central heating system run efficiently and reduce carbon dioxide? Your gas central heating’s efficacy decreases when limescale deposits and gunk accumulate in it.
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’ is one that is used to describe various methods of taking care of your system. sludge extractors, limescale inhibitors, electronic and magnetic lime reducers, anti-freeze compounds and noise reducing agents are some of the extensive water treatment products sold in the market today.
In the UK, depending on where you live, your water could range between hard and soft. Hard water exposes you to limescale — your kettle, shower head and taps being the most probable areas where you first notice limescale masses. Limescale deposits inside boiler parts, pipework and radiators increases energy consumption and can lead to banging and bumping in the pipework. Your fuel bills can increase by forty percent even with small deposits of limescale in your cylinder. These are basically calcium deposits solidifying from the water. Soft water area residents should not worry too much, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for help if you are not so sure.
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. It can do this in different ways for example, by changing one structure for another, by taking away a structure or by inhibiting the structure from becoming solid.
If you want to determine the corrosion rate inside your heating system, you can do so by using these chemical kits which measure the chloride, copper and iron levels and measure the pH.
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.
You should decide about the water treatment well in advance, especially when you are installing a new heating system. If you are upgrading your current system, you must cleanse your whole system before any water treatment chemicals are added.
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.
Limescale formation, acidic corrosion and bio-chemical sludge are the main causes of heating system damage.
Corrosion will begin as soon as the tank is filled with water. One of the symptoms of corrosion is cold spots in your radiators because gunk 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. A vibrating and wheezing heating system can be a real nuisance.
Fungal and bacterial growth is another menace to vented heating systems. Minute organisms can enter through the vents and storage tanks of the boiler. 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.
A lot of free advice is available on the internet on how to get rid of biological growth. These resources cover product details as well as user feedback. I would start with the manufacturers themselves. You can see below a list of some of the most popular products and their manufacturers. Besides inquiring for information with company sources, you should also read opinions on specialised blogs.
In order to ensure that your central heating system works efficiently and your home bills are also reduced, find out the best water treatment method and apply the recommended treatments every year.