The steps to water treatment success

With energy costs having risen dramatically over the past 12 months, it makes sense to make sure that heating systems are performing efficiently. Here, Dave Goodyer, Spirotech area sales manager, looks at how water treatment solutions have evolved and some of the key steps that heating engineers should be recommending.

Over the past few decades, the number of different water treatment solutions has expanded. It’s important to be aware of the different options available to you, as well as which combination should be used to ensure that any heating system will perform at its best.

Water analysis, chemicals and flushing

More attention is being paid to what’s inside the pipework. As the first port of call to understand the quality of a system, heating engineers have become familiar with the need to carry out water analysis.

Not only does this help to determine the nature and cause of any problems, but it also checks pH levels and identifies any types of dirt present, so that they can decide on any necessary action.

Dirt separation

But flushing alone will only remove a certain amount of dirt and debris. Any contaminants left behind can start to build up, leading homeowners to experience annoyances such as radiator cold spots, noisy pipework and, in more serious cases, parts breakdown.

Because the boiler is forced to work harder to deliver the desired levels of heat, this can also lead to higher-than-expected energy bills.

This is where fitting a dirt separator on the return comes in. A reduction in flow velocity facilitated together with a laminar no-flow zone and external magnet ensures that any magnetite caused by corrosion, along with non-magnetic particles, is captured and removed before they can enter the boiler and re-circulate around the system.

Deaeration

People understand the need to remove contaminants from the heating system, but it’s also valuable to also understand how dirt and magnetite are created, and how their formation can largely be avoided. They all boil down to the presence of one factor: trapped air.

By removing air from the system, the conditions for magnetite to form and the corrosion process are greatly reduced: an automatic air vent (AAV) simply will not suffice.

internal surfaces and gradually corrode the system, creating the magnetite that is collected by dirt separators.

Fitting a deaerator effectively and continuously removes microbubbles from the heating system. A deaerator fitted on the flow pipe, at the point in the system with the highest temperature and lowest pressure, will create the right conditions for microbubbles to rise upwards out of the water, before being released by the automatic valve at the top of the unit.

Some chemicals are required to perform important system maintenance functions – to kill bacteria, for example. After the system has been cleaned with chemicals, a powerflush should be carried out to remove any other magnetite, sludge or debris.

This should always be carried out before commissioning a new heating system as well as when working on an existing system.

Since the introduction of the first dirt separators more than a decade ago, their popularity has grown hugely, as their installation has been stipulated by many boiler manufacturers in order for the warranty to remain valid or to obtain an extended warranty.

Dirt separation units will become more widely installed, as a permanent in-line filter is now required on all types of wet system.

Failure to remove microbubbles can be hugely problematic. If left untreated, they will eventually be re-absorbed into the system water, where the oxygen will react with any ferrous

Combining these water treatment solutions will improve the quality of heating systems and help your customers keep energy usage to a minimum, in turn reducing costs. ■ www.spirotech.co.uk

Spirotech’s Better Heating toolkit at www.betterheating.co.uk includes informative videos on how air and dirt removal works, and the impact that they have if left untreated.

New for 2023, installers can also register to become a Spirotech Approved Installer and have their business details listed on the new Find an Installer tool, helping to connect them with potential customers in their area looking to learn more about air and dirt removal.