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The threat of corrosion to commercial heang systems cannot be underesmated. Keith Thompson, Commercial Sales Director at magnec filtraon pioneer, ADEY considers the crucial role magnec filtraon plays to ensure any investment is protected.


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nsuring steps are taken to mitigate damage will help to maximise value in commercial plant rooms. It is also important we consider risk versus performance. When these are equally balanced, we are at compliance, however, tipping this scale to lower risk and raise performance is what you should be aiming to do.


To achieve this, a best practice approach is most effective, and this will include the adoption of magnetic filtration as part of a complete water treatment programme. First though, we need to understand why the problem occurs.


The risk to performance


Simply put, it’s caused by magnetite which makes up 98% of system debris and is a direct result of corrosion that occurs when water circulates through boilers and pipework. However, magnetite particles are very small, measuring just 0.008mm in diameter which makes capturing them difficult. It also means they can travel easily around a heating system, deposit in low flow areas such as heat exchangers, base boards and radiators, cause erosion in turbulent areas and clog up pumps.


The scale of damage caused by magnetite can start from simply requiring replacement parts, which can be an inconvenient and costly exercise, through to replacing an entire heating system which will involve significant expenditure and will almost certainly involve some disruptive downtime. As a worst-case scenario, total system failure could have a hugely detrimental impact, potentially resulting in building closure.


Development in boiler technology, driven by legislation and a need for greater efficiency,


while welcomed by the industry, has further highlighted the problem. Older, more tolerant but less efficient cast iron boilers have been replaced with more efficient stainless steel and aluminium models.


These newer generation boilers cannot match the durability of cast iron units unless the proper protection is in place. They are smaller which means their heat cells are more prone to magnetite blockages while the small waterways, reduced from 50-60cm to as small as 8mm in some cases, are also susceptible to becoming blocked. These changes have happened over the last ten years as the industry has had to respond to government pressure to reduce carbon emissions. The Energy-related Products (ErP) directive has also played a big part in driving the adoption of condensing technologies.


Domesc lessons to be learnt


There is now widespread adoption of magnetic filtration in the domestic sector, with installers very much in tune with the benefits it can bring. Replacing a boiler in the home is an expensive exercise but when you consider this in a commercial context, the associated costs will be multiplied many times.


Given this cost disparity, it is alarming to think that lessons from the domestic market are not being learnt and replicated in commercial buildings. This is backed up by figures which show that typically, the commercial heating sector is investing less than 1% of the capital cost of the boiler to protect the heating system. In the domestic sector, it is 15%. As the name would suggest, magnetic filtration has magnets as its core. Usually available in different sizes depending on the size of the system, the filter is fitted to the pipe work and this


can be done on a brand-new heating system or retro-fitted. The filter will also need to be emptied and serviced as the sludge collects around the magnets. Some filters also offer greater flexibility, with both side stream and in-line installation being possible.


The ultimate aim for any commercial plant room should be to achieve low risk with high performance. So, if we think of compliance as a neutral starting point – something that has to be done to tick a box – the priority must be to improve upon that. Put simply, embracing the latest technology and taking a proactive and considered approach to heating system protection and maintenance will make an immediate and lasting impact.


www.adey.com


HEATING BSEE Feeling the force of magnetic filtration


uTaking steps to migate damage will help to maximise value in commercial plant rooms.


VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.bsee.co.uk


BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2018 17


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