Filling a heating system with soft water
- Thread starter igneous
- Start date
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Can you give us a context?
Seems a loaded question.
Seems a loaded question.
Not loaded, most of my experience is in very hard water areas, I'm unsure of the consequences of filling a heating system (copper and steel) in an area of soft or very soft water. Wether it is a problem and if it is are there any treatments for it!
Thanks for your reply
Thanks for your reply
Some manufacturers, particularly with Aluminium Silicone Heat Exchangers will not allow artificially softened water in their heating systems. As I understand it the excess salt would erode the casting. So best to double check with the boiler manufacturers.
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Good idea, might try kamco as well they have always been helpful too. Found it interesting as it's not been something I've really thought about before. With artificial soft water you can get around it with naturally soft water unless you pop down the cash and carry and buy bottled water (joke) you can't help but fill the system with it
No issue from naturally soft water.
The issues that were seen were with artificially softened water, it was attributed to the processes used to soften the water and it's interaction with inhibitors designed to reduce scaling, any of the inhibitor left once all the calcium was absorbed through softening could react with the ally in the exchangers causing premature corrosion.
Newer inhibitors have been chemically changed and don't attack ally, as they now specify that they are OK for mixed metal systems, wasn't the case before.
The issues that were seen were with artificially softened water, it was attributed to the processes used to soften the water and it's interaction with inhibitors designed to reduce scaling, any of the inhibitor left once all the calcium was absorbed through softening could react with the ally in the exchangers causing premature corrosion.
Newer inhibitors have been chemically changed and don't attack ally, as they now specify that they are OK for mixed metal systems, wasn't the case before.
Yes, just confirm that it's suitable for all mixed metal systems and guarantees no interaction with rubber or plastics, most are these days.
Yes, there were studies done by the industry and British Standards about premature corrosion in the 'newer' aluminium heat exchangers at the time and what was the actual cause, it was around 2007 I read it I think after the BS was updated. Should be available on the net I'M sure.
It turned out that the 'softened water shouldn't be used' term was just added to the BS at the behest of the inhibitor makers without any evidence, needless to say that was challenged and proven to be wrong and the BS was re-written etc.
Again though, this is only relative to artificially softened water, naturally soft water isn't an issue as it doesn't have calcium to start with or it's filtered out and not chemically altered in a softener.
It turned out that the 'softened water shouldn't be used' term was just added to the BS at the behest of the inhibitor makers without any evidence, needless to say that was challenged and proven to be wrong and the BS was re-written etc.
Again though, this is only relative to artificially softened water, naturally soft water isn't an issue as it doesn't have calcium to start with or it's filtered out and not chemically altered in a softener.
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