Reduce your gas charges with softer water for your boiler
Reduce your gas charges with softer water for your boiler
Manufacturers have made multiple products and services that you can add to your gas central heating system to help it to perform efficiently for a longer period of time. Regardless, a central heating systems that’s given proper care will work for you smoothly. You must have heard those environmental and government agents asking us to switch off our Television, lights etc when not in use, the room thermostats and washing machine temperatures should also be turned down to cut energy use and carbon dioxide production. All of these are effective ways of saving energy which will not only help environmentally but also reduce many household energy bills. But what about getting your gas central heating system to work more efficiently? The build up of gunk and limescale deposits in your central heating system will cause it to run less efficiently.
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 encompasses many different remedies for the protection 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.
Your location in the UK caninfluence the extent of your water’s hardness or softness. Living in a hard water area means that you are prone to limescale your kettle probably being the first place that you will notice limescale deposits as well as on your showerhead and taps. Any accumulation of limescale will make your system run less economically and therefore increase your heating bill. Just a small, thin layer of scale in your hot water cylinder can increase your fuel bills by as much as forty percent. Basically, limescale is just the build up of calcium deposits. These problems are not seen in areas that get soft water, however in case of any doubt one should always seek advice.
A majority of water treatment methods alter the molecular structure of water and the associated particles, and thereby changes the way water 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.
Chemical test kits are available that allow you to check the probability and speed of corrosion by gauging the levels of ph, chloride, iron and copper.
Your system must be installed by a professional, never connect brass or copper to aluminum as this can lead to corrosion through the interaction of these metals. 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. Before using a water treatment remedy on your present system, ensure that the entire heating system is completely flushed out.
Heating systems get their supply of water from the main water source of your household and many mechanisms can be connected to the main source to solve water issues, yet, you should keep in mind that water softening systems installed for your home are only meant to serve your household needs and will not help with the hard water problem affecting your 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.
Corrosion, limescale and biological growth are the three prominent things you need to stop.
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. Gradual pitting can perforate the metal piping, causing the boiler or radiators to rattle.
In hard water areas the calcium and magnesium in the water causes limescale. The deposits thicken when the water is heated, this leads to formation of a hard crust over a period of time which eventually blocks pipes etc. This again can manifest itself with a noisy heating system.
Biological growth is another thing that should be avoided at all costs. They gets into the heating system through open tanks. After the biological matter gets into the tank it begins to breed and produces sludge and slime. This can also grow and cause blockages in the pipework thereby reducing the efficiency of the whole system.
There is a lot of free advice on the internet. These resources cover product details as well as user feedback. It is recommended that you begin with the manufacturers 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.
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 costs by helping you maintain an efficient gas central heating system.