Company profile
Ernie McDonald
Water treatment works wonders
Due to be implemented in September 2015, the Energy related Products (ErP) directive and its anticipated impact on water treatment, is a key focus for Fernox as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. HVRspoke to Fernox director Ernie McDonald
which will require all boilers 400kw and below to be condensing, “is a chal- lenge for all of us in the UK and in Europe,” says Ernie. “But where water treatment is concerned, there’s still some uncertainty. We need to know where it will fit in, how it will be measured and how that will impact on the overall energy efficiency of a system.” Fernox will be in an ideal posi- tion to respond to the challenges raised by the ErP. “We will look to provide more support for that market, and hope- fully increase our business within it, but also ensure that more and more systems are protected.” One step Fernox is taking to prepare for September 2015 is to develop a low-cost solution in the form of a commercial filter for the HVAC market. This is currently in final beta trials and will work to provide protection for a condensing boiler if the cleaning cannot be done correctly due to system design or accessibility.
The water treatment message Founded by Geman chemist Peter Muetzel, Fernox has risen to become one of the global leaders in water treatment and this is in no small part due to its commit- ment to imparting the knowledge and understanding of the positive impact that water treatment can have on a system. “Training and knowledge are vital to our business. One thing we’ve worked hard at over the years is to put the message across to installers, consultants and spec- ifiers that using water treatment will do two things. First of all it will maintain, or improve the longevity of the system by stop- ping corrosion and scale but more importantly in recent times, is the idea that it will boost energy effi- ciency,” Ernie says.
“If you use a water treatment 10 | October 2014 | HVR Daily news update at
www.heatingandventilating.net
product and it stops scale and corrosion building up in the heat exchanger, then the energy efficiency of that boiler will be closer to what it was when it left the factory because high levels of scale and corrosion diminish the boiler’s efficiency. “We must also bear in mind that boiler manufacturers are offering longer warranty periods but some of the issues they come across are related to wrong usage, or no usage, of water treatment rather than faulty equipment.
“This is why OEMs want to get across the message of water treat- ment, and this has so far been done very successfully in the UK. “Around the rest of the world, particularly in China, where the benefits of water treatment are less well known, the support of OEMs become vital.
“In China, the boiler market from a domestic standpoint is really starting to grow and it will be bigger than the UK in the next few years. There are a lot of European players operating in this market who understand the benefits of using water treatment
and this is what has enabled us to develop our water treatment market so quickly in China.”
Demand for water treatment A growing demand for water treatment has ensured Fernox has had a successful 50th anniversary year having made strides in all its key markets.
In the UK, the introduction of new products and a close rela- tionship with its customers has stood the company in good stead. In fact, the economic downturn of recent times had minimal impact on the company. For Fernox, the combined
effect of the growing trend towards energy efficient heating systems and the emphasis on con- densing boilers has meant a high- er demand for water treatment. “In addition to this, the boiler- market was not particularly impacted. With existing systems, which makes the bulk of our work, business continued to thrive, as consumers and installers became more aware of the low- cost advantages of water treat- ment in preventing breakdowns,
increasing efficiency and saving money on heating bills.”
Commercial products In its commercial division, Fernox’s main products are inhibitors and cleaners, such as HVAC F1 and HVAC F3, suitable for new and existing systems.
On a new system these are nec- essary to remove any remaining debris or remnants from the instal- lation, so that when the system goes on line there are no contami- nants in the water. This is followed by an inhibitor to inhibit the surfaces within the system and maintain them so they are protect- ed from scale and corrosion. On an existing system, where debris may have built up over time due to oxygen ingress or the interaction between copper and steel with the resulting build up of magnetite, it is important to thoroughly clean with HVAC F3 and inhibit with HVAC F1 to ensure maximum efficiency. This will help to prevent costly break- downs and repair work and guarantee system longevity. Fernox forms part of the wider
In its
commercial division,
Fernox’s main products are inhibitors and cleaners, such as HVAC F1 and HVAC F3, suitable for new and existing systems
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