When fitting an Aquadial scale inhibitor, which side should the check valve be fitted? As the instructions state there must be no possibility of hot water transfer back through, which could happen in my mains pressure thermal store if I turned off the main stop cock for any reason. And I'm assuming I ought to have a check valve before the unit to prevent back flow of inhibitor chemicals, this sort of implies I need to check valve both sides. Anyone got any advice on the usual practice for these?
aquadial/check valve
- Thread starter Billybjo
- Start date
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You seem to be intending to fit this device in a postition and for a purpose for which its not suitable.
Either that or you have not explained it correctly.
Can you explain exactly where you are planning to fit it on your system.
Tony
Either that or you have not explained it correctly.
Can you explain exactly where you are planning to fit it on your system.
Tony
Its for fitting onto the DHW pipe before pipe goes into my gledhill thermal store, which is how its recommended for use (and in some posts on this forum). The same pipe has a T junction also feeding internal cold taps etc. So I'm proposing to fit it after that junction, but before the DHW coil in the thermal store.
cold feed - T junction - cold feed to DHW coil - fit inhibitor here - DHW coil inside thermal store.
cold feed - T junction - cold feed to DHW coil - fit inhibitor here - DHW coil inside thermal store.
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Sorry I probably just didn't explain it clearly. What I meant was when we turn off the stop tap for any reason, there is a tendancy for the water to drain backwards down the pipes if anyone then turns on a tap or flushes the WC. Because the DHW coil is almost the highest part in the system, it might back flush some of the inhibited water into the cold pipes. But I guess if the non-return valve is after the aquadial, it should also prevent that return flow. The reason I asked was on the leaflet that comes with the unit, it shows a diagram with a non-return valve before the inhibitor, but has " if required" in brackets. I wasn't too sure if they are eluding to using 2 valves either side of the unit.
Chris, now you have confused me....not that it takes a lot.
The radiator/thermal water has fernox in as per usual. But the inhibitor is for the tap water (hot) before the water passes through the coil to prevent the coil from getting too scaled up. This is how I've seen it explained and recommended on previous forum subjects and how the unit instructions explains it.
Are you saying it shouldn't go on that pipe? If not, how do I prevent the coil from scaling up?
The radiator/thermal water has fernox in as per usual. But the inhibitor is for the tap water (hot) before the water passes through the coil to prevent the coil from getting too scaled up. This is how I've seen it explained and recommended on previous forum subjects and how the unit instructions explains it.
Are you saying it shouldn't go on that pipe? If not, how do I prevent the coil from scaling up?
It is indeed a polyphosphate, an aquadial combi-care compact:
http://www.aquadialwaterfilters.co.uk/
Here's one of the previous posts that discussed similar units:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=383679#383679
So I'm hoping I have understood this correctly and its safe and fine to install on the DHW circuit. Basically I'm trying to follow best practice to ensure the boilermate II we have lasts as long as possible.
http://www.aquadialwaterfilters.co.uk/
Here's one of the previous posts that discussed similar units:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=383679#383679
So I'm hoping I have understood this correctly and its safe and fine to install on the DHW circuit. Basically I'm trying to follow best practice to ensure the boilermate II we have lasts as long as possible.
The heating coil is unlikely to get scaled up unless the store temperature is held very high.
It is not called an inhibitor! Its a water treatment system and works by modifying the crystalline form of the calcium deposits which reduces their likelyhood of depositing on anything.
Tony
It is not called an inhibitor! Its a water treatment system and works by modifying the crystalline form of the calcium deposits which reduces their likelyhood of depositing on anything.
Tony
Oh no it doesn't! That's the hocus pocus magnetic field ones. This is a hubble bubble one - which actually works, by chemistry!
To be clear, Billy - the chemical often only referred to by the makers' name "Fernox" which is left in the system is a corrosion inhibitor, and that's the stuff they don't like getting back into the mains.
If your water's a bit hard I would advise you add a couple of good quallity valves to the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger, so you can easily flush it with descaler.
40 second sketch:
ok I can see where I've caused some confusion by calling it an inhibitor. Scale reduction should have been more appropriate.
The thermal store does have a high storage temperature by design, thats the only way we get hot water.
Its is very hard water in my area. The taps even get lumps of scale building up on their ends regularly and the shower gets clogged up quite regularly.
Although I understand we can flush the heat exchanger at periodic intervals by having those valves you mentioned (I think Gledhill actually supply a custom valve for that purpose that fits on the input/output), I wanted to reduce the maintenance overhead, and help a little to prevent the taps, shower and washing machine clogging up, without going for a full blown water softener.
The thermal store does have a high storage temperature by design, thats the only way we get hot water.
Its is very hard water in my area. The taps even get lumps of scale building up on their ends regularly and the shower gets clogged up quite regularly.
Although I understand we can flush the heat exchanger at periodic intervals by having those valves you mentioned (I think Gledhill actually supply a custom valve for that purpose that fits on the input/output), I wanted to reduce the maintenance overhead, and help a little to prevent the taps, shower and washing machine clogging up, without going for a full blown water softener.
Yes, I was being a little lazy by quoting the explanation given for magnetic treatments.
The problem is that its evidently difficult to explain exactly how the polyphosphate does work.
One site says:
"An alternative chemical dosing system uses high quality food grade polyphosphate crystals which dissolve slowly into the water stream, coating any metal parts which are in contact with the water, with a thin film. This film effectively inhibits the build up of limescale and the corrosion of metal pipes. The automatic process of proportional dosing controls the amount of polyphosphate released into the water. (Liff Industries Ltd see manufacturers section".
The reality of the protection does not seem to be that at all! It certainly does prevent the deposition of scale on hot surfaces. However, the downside is that it causes the precipitation of calcium compounds in the drains and in a larger use situation such as a launderette can cause regular drain blockages if it is not cleared regularly..
Tony
ok I can see where I've caused some confusion by calling it an inhibitor. Scale reduction should have been more appropriate.
The thermal store does have a high storage temperature by design, thats the only way we get hot water.
Its is very hard water in my area. The taps even get lumps of scale building up on their ends regularly and the shower gets clogged up quite regularly.
Although I understand we can flush the heat exchanger at periodic intervals by having those valves you mentioned (I think Gledhill actually supply a custom valve for that purpose that fits on the input/output), I wanted to reduce the maintenance overhead, and help a little to prevent the taps, shower and washing machine clogging up, without going for a full blown water softener.
The thermal store does have a high storage temperature by design, thats the only way we get hot water.
Its is very hard water in my area. The taps even get lumps of scale building up on their ends regularly and the shower gets clogged up quite regularly.
Although I understand we can flush the heat exchanger at periodic intervals by having those valves you mentioned (I think Gledhill actually supply a custom valve for that purpose that fits on the input/output), I wanted to reduce the maintenance overhead, and help a little to prevent the taps, shower and washing machine clogging up, without going for a full blown water softener.
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