Testing the ph (and other nasties) in central heating system

[Coaster]

hello,
Ive been quoted £40 for a litmus paper based tester for water in system.
Is that a the normal cost? and is there any other way testing it besides drinking some? (kidding btw )

 

[Breesey]

You can do it by post for 25/30 quid - if you really feel like it!

 

[oldbuffer]

A litmus test will only show the acidity / alkalinity of the water. What can be more important is the level of dissolved solids in the water, for which you need a total dissolved solids meter or a turbidity tube. There are various other tests which can be done.

Unless you have the equipment it is much easier and more reliable to get an inhibitor manufacturer to run the test on a water sample and give you a report. I think both Fernox and Sentinel offer this service, and Kamco may as well.

 

[Onetap]

Buy some litmus paper from E-bay, about £2.
To carry out a useful test, you need to know what the inhibitor is used and you need a test kit for that compound. That site offers a test for molybdate based inhinitor, which is what most, but not all, domestic treatments use.

 

[Agile]

I dont see why people get so interested in test results when the system can be fully drained and refilled with a £13 can of X100 inhibitor!

Tony