During all gas service visits we test central heating water for impurities and concentrations of corrosion protection, and bring any deficiencies to your attention, however heating system corrosion is not the end of the story read on to find out more.
Water quality varies according to which part of the country you live in, London is a hard water area where as parts of Wales, cumbria Manchester the lake district and even parts of Devon are very soft. What you will notice more than anything between the two is that hard water is more abrasive than the latter. The reason is that here in London as underground water passes through the predominantly chalk and limestone ground found here, there is a natural geological process that takes effect and produces water at your taps hign in levels of calcium and magnesium. Soft water areas gain their water supplies from upland run offs and resevoirs not naturally high in minerals, or as in cumbria water which has passed between granite which is impervious to water.
So where does this leave you and your plumbing, your average stainless steel kettle will give a good indication of whats happening elsewhere, there are inline filters available which can reduce the hardness, but these do need to be changed from time to time as the filters quite simply loose their effectiveness.
As with all plumbing regular maintenance to check for smooth and effective operation ensures at very least a longer life span, it is also easy to forget your heating system is also affected as the hardness does not just disappear because the water has been heated, this is particularly noticable in narrow waterways such as in boiler heat exhangers.
As noted in a previous section about cold water storage tanks, the threat of Legionella and other water bourne deseases is real. They thrive in stagnant water particurly when they are in a relatively warm environment which is neither below or above the temperatures in which it either remains dorment or where it cannot survive.
It is considered as a minimum you should have your cold water tanks in loft spaces etc checked annually, and if their is any indication of sludge a build up of scale or any other contaminent the tank should be chlorinated.It should be known that when properties are left vacant for a period of time, testing the water and checking the tanks prior to moving in is a strongly recommended safeguard
Checks in hostpitals schools and retirement homes will have even stricter levels of compliance which they must adhere to.
Often highlighted as a high risk area because during a hot shower water vapour can be easily breathed in and if Legionella is present at high enough levels it is a sure route to contracting the desease particularly if your immune system is compromised. For this reason shower heads should also be chlorinated at regular intervals. Taps fitted with flow restrictors and filters also need to be stripped at regular intervals for the same reason.
Maybe something that doesn't immeadiately spring to mind when talking about water treatment, until you find an asbestos cold water storage tank and they can still be found in some older houses. Where we find these we recommend installing a new modern tank isolating and draining the asbestos one. We won't touch the tank just cover it and leave it, as long as its left alone the opinion is its fine. However as far as the ongoing storage of your bathing water is concerned we stongly advise against it as years and years of bacterial slime ingrained in the fabric of the tank is going to leach through at some stage.
Legionella thrives in water that is between 20 and 50 degrees C. Below 20 degrees and any legionella present will remain dormant, above 50 degrees and the bacteria will begin to die off, but to be sure it is recommended to keep hot water storage cylinders at a temperature above 60 degrees, and the same with cold below 15 degrees is ideal.It is worth noting that in the summer the lofts in some properties can reach significant temperatures which means that stored cold water temperature will also rise during theses periods.
Returning briefly to the subject of insulation in loft spaces, not only does it cause the loft temperature to drop in the winter which can cause pipes to freeze as heat is trapped in the living areas, the opposite is true in the summer where the build up of heat in the loft is amplified by the effect of the insulation and lack of airflow to reach significant temperatures.
It has long been a selling point pushed by the insulation and draught excluder industry that you are saving money on your heating bill, So you can with prices as high as they are now imagine that these same companies will be banging the drum for even thicker insulation probably if not waste deep at least knee deep. Also which may be of interest is that many Scandinavian countries have turned away from the harmful effects of glass fibre loft insulation in preference for more sustainable natural and breathable products
In some respects easier to manage but just as damaging as the above if left to its own devices. Periodic testing of heating water quality is essential in maintaining modern boilers and their associated components in good working order. Water quality can be improved by the addition of chemicals and the fitting of airators and filters. The number and type you will require depends on the different materials you have used in the pipework, pipework material will also dictate the chemical additives your system needs and the levels to which they should be maintained to keep clear.
Some people consider water softeners as an option for dealing with hard water, however there is much debate on its suitability, so before you decide to invest in one of these it is essential you check with your boiler manufacturer whether its use will affect your boiler warranty, this is because it has been historically believed that artifically softened water is harmful to aluminium boiler heat exchangers. Also do not fit the softener in such a way as it artificially softens your drinking and cooking water, ie mains water to your kitchen. This is in part to do with the fact that higher than recommended levels of sodium will be introduced to your drinking supply, sodium of course being salt. Not exact science but many londoners beleive that tea made from hard water is far superior to that made with soft water, you will notice your favorite brand of tea bag filling your cup with flavour in other words a tasty cup of Rosie Lea made with minimal effort whilst tea made with soft will after a lot of stirring and dunking produce a rather disapointing vaguely colored hot watery liquid. So when your out and about and your offered a watery sometimes not quite right tasting cuppa politely ask to see their plumbing and i am sure you will find its been done wrong.
We can build a suitable bespoke planned maintenance routine for your property after an initial visit that encompassed all of the above issues in order to build a benchmark and record the individual plumbing and heating assets to include.
In the first instance please send us a message using our contact form or call and we will be glad to be of assistance.