How your localised water can tighten your gas cost-efficiency and injure your central heating system

There are many optional products that are available to add to your central 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. We have all heard the advice from the Government and environmental agents telling us to turn off our lights, turn off TVs 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. 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.

If you live in a region where hard water is being supplied, then you should look for water treatment methods to prevent gunk and limescale from damaging your central heating system.

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. A wide range of water treatment products including scale reducers and inhibitors, magnetic and electronic lime fighters, sludge removers, noise reducers and anti-freeze are available.

Living in the UK means that depending on whereabouts you are in the country, your water can range from hard to soft. Limescale deposits are common in areas that get hard water, and these deposits are first seen on kettles, taps and shower heads. Central Heating bills grow as a result of efficiency reduction caused by limescale. Just a small, thin layer of scale in your hot water cylinder can increase your fuel bills by as much as 40%. Limescale is nothing, but calcium deposits in your central heating system. Although those living in soft water areas will not have to take as many provisions, if you are unsure you should still get professional advice.

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. 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. By law, only CORGI registered tradespeople can deal with gas connections, this scheme is now known as Gas Safe.

It is a good idea to plan ahead, if you are having a new system installed, think which water treatment you will require as some can be fitted to your system. If you are upgrading your current system, you must cleanse your whole system before any water treatment chemicals are added.

The central heating system will take water from the main pipeline, and in this line, even if a functional water treatment method is already there to tackle the problem of hard water this method will be of no use for your heating system. These water softening chemicals can produce better lather and are good for your skin, but they cannot reverse the choking and pitting inside the heating system.

The three main things that you need to prevent are corrosion, limescale and biological growth.

From the very instant your heating system is in place corrosion can begin. Your radiators can suffer from cold spots caused by restricted circulation as a result of sludge created in the system by corrosion. Pinholes can also appear in the radiator and if the problem is not sorted out in good time your boiler could start to make noises.

Limescale is caused by calcium and magnesium which is present in the water hard water areas having far more of these minerals than other parts of the country. The deposits thicken when the water is heated, this leads to formation of a hard crust over a time period which eventually blocks pipes etc. This again can manifest itself with a noisy heating system.

Biological growth inside the system is another hazard that must be prevented. This is usually introduced into the system through open tanks. After managing to enter the system, it spreads by creating slime and sludge. In addition to the tank, they grow into the pipes and block them; thereby the efficiency of the system is further reduced.

Various forums and websites provide useful information on water treatment. Take a look at this for a few minutes to improve your awareness. It is recommended that you begin with the producers of the various systems. Some well known manufacturers and their popular products are listed in this site, such as Sentinel or Fernox. Blogs also offer ample source of free help and information or you can contact the companies with any questions.

All the best with your water treatment, let energy conserving central heating and hot water with lower home bills rule.

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