Hard water killing radiators and taps

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My house is 7 years old. Just about every radiator has a pinhole leak and every tap drips. I've tried reseating the taps and new washers, but they (Ideal Standard) just continue to drip. We've a water softener and inhibitor has been applied twice to the heating system.

Two questions. Is there anything I can do to prevent to corrosive nature of this water (South Bucks) taking hold?

Can anyone recommend some good quality radiators / taps not made from chinese soft cheese that might be a little more robust?

Many thanks
 
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it wont be the hard water killing your rads, rather the fact that sludge has built up due to lack of inhibiter
 
corgiman said:
it wont be the hard water killing your rads, rather the fact that sludge has built up due to lack of inhibiter

Thanks for that.... the heating system has had inhibitor applied twice. So maybe system should be flushed and start again.

Can you recommend any good quality brands of taps / radiators?

Thanks
 
not really as I mainly deal with repair rather than installation ,am sure one of the other fine upstanding pros will tip you the wink as to decent makes
 
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Inhibitor has to be applied when the radiators are fitted and topped up every year.

Its too late when the rads are leaking to add inhibitor!

You may well have a fault like pumping over causing excessive oxygenisation of the system water.

If you have a water softener then the water at the taps should not be hard with the exception of the cold in the kitchen.

You could try fitting a magnetic unit on the supply to the kitchen.

Tony
 
Agile said:
Inhibitor has to be applied when the radiators are fitted and topped up every year.

Its too late when the rads are leaking to add inhibitor!

You may well have a fault like pumping over causing excessive oxygenisation of the system water.

If you have a water softener then the water at the taps should not be hard with the exception of the cold in the kitchen.

You could try fitting a magnetic unit on the supply to the kitchen.

Tony

Thanks for the answer. No the inhibitor wasn't added to stoip the leaks. There was a stiicker on the boiler when we bought the house saying it had been added, then when the system furred up and was flushed a double dose was added by Renelec. That was a couple of years ago I guess. The rads have all started leaking in the last two months..... since the heating had come back into use
 
Just a thought, and not something I have much knowledge (seing as I'm not a heating "engineer") of so call me a muppet if I'm completely wrong.

Surely hard water doesn't cause higher corrosion, just more scale/residue?

Will using water that has been salt-softened (and therefore a higher sodium content) speed up corrosion of a heating system? I say speed up rather than cause because of the other factors such as air etc.

Surely salt+water+air does not make a good mix when it comes to ferrous metals??
 
No..a common misconception about water softeners is that they add salt to your water..they don't. The salt is used as a flushing agent for the zeolite balls which themselves absorb the hardness ions in the untreated water. When the zeolite balls reach their capacity, they are flushed with salt water, which goes to the drain. When flushing is complete, fresh water is again run over the zeolite to soften it... Its an Ion exchange thing.

Pinholing is corrosion..and cheap rads possibly. Start again, flush out the system put new rads on (don't get the cheapest with bleed pips at the back, get good ones where you can vent them from the side where there is a proper vent insert) brand names escape me at present :oops: , but have a chat with your plumbing suppliers,they will probably run two ranges..cheap & nasty...and better quality

Then use Sentinel X100 or fernox liberally!

Alfredo
 
Could the leaks could be down to the fact that the system wasn't rinsed out properly after the flush. The corrosive mixture may have been slowly eating away at the system. :idea:
 
As has been said hard water will not cause pinhole corrosion. electricity however will, and I'm willing to bet if you test the system with a clamp meter you will find a residual current throughout the pipework.

Look for a reading 30-40 m/amps

Get it tested and pop back
 

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