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ww.heatingandventilating.net Hardships – no economies with scale
Hard water contains a high amount of calcium carbonate and often magnesium bicarbonates. Once heated up, scale forms and deposits on equipment. The result: in the worst of cases, it leads to its breakdown, in the ‘best’ of cases it affects its performance, i. e. energy efficiency, increasing running costs (see table left). This is the biggest problem in the UK, as large parts of it are hard water areas. As calcium carbonate becomes less soluble with higher water temperature, scale is especially problematic in hot water applications. However, high
temperatures are needed to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria. Regular
maintenance is vital to ensure efficiency and reliability of the system. This means the installation needs to be cleaned and scale removed. If hard water becomes an issue, a physical water softener or chemical treatment can be an option, too.
Finishing o Finishing off the installation (disinfection)
It is recommended to carry out a disinfection according to HSG274, once the hot water system has been installed, followed by a system flush until all chemicals are removed. To protect the aquatic environment, a so-called consent to discharge might be required when the system is drained. To test if the disinfection was successful, a bacteriological sample should be taken a week after it has been performed.
Pr Prepared for the future
After the disinfection and when the system is ready to take up operation, we recommend getting it commissioned by a water quality professional. Commissioning sheets and water quality certificates are then kept for future reference. Sacrificial anodes, should they be used, also require regular check- ups as they need replacing when worn down to 60% to ensure continuing protection. If any water treatment equipment is installed, this also needs to be regularly looked at. Other than visual checks, regular water samples should be taken to monitor water quality, also on a bacteriological level.
Designing a safe and efficient hot water system depends on many factors. Therefore, a bespoke approach to design, equipment and material choice is necessary for each individual application. Lastly, it is a matter of finding a balance to overcome all the risks as outlined.
Water treatment
World’s First Spiral Rib Tubeless Steam Boiler
Environmentally friendly key points of the VSRT
www.fulton.co.uk +44 (0)117 972 3322
sales@fulton.co.uk
www.fulton.co.uk/fulton-products/vsrt 33
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