Elements of the heating system and hot water supply of country houses are very vulnerable to unfavorable electrochemical processes: high temperature and water is affected. How to avoid possible trouble?
Photo: Bosch. To ensure long-term operation of the heating installation, it is necessary to regularly carry out maintenance. In addition to testing, the pressure should also be monitored and, if necessary, adjust the pH of the water in the heating system
Among all the dangerous phenomena, the most "popular", perhaps, the scale of scale is so called a soluble insoluble precipitate of calcium salts, magnesium and some other metals. It is formed as a result of heating tap water to 60-65 ° C, in which these salts are contained in the form of ions. From scale, all parts of heating and hot water systems can suffer, which are in contact with water, but the intensive size of the precipitate is formed on the BAC electrical water heaters. They need additional protection. Most accumulator instruments are equipped with a magnesium anode, which gradually destroyed during the oxidative reaction, protects the TEN from the formation of scale, and the walls of the tank - from corrosion.
Photo: Buderus. To prevent the boiler corrosion, aggressive substances should not contain in the air for combustion of gas. Corrosive halogen-containing hydrocarbons, chlorine and fluorine compounds
To prevent corrosion, it is necessary to thoroughly seal the heating circuit so that atmospheric oxygen does not fall into it.
Magnesium anode with severe wear must be replaced. The state of the rod is estimated visually at the annual service inspection. Usually, the anode is supposed to change once in 1-2 years, so when buying it is worth clarifying where it will be possible to purchase the item and how to replace it. However, the model of water heaters with a titanium anode connected to the source of the protective current ("with an overlapping") was distributed and not requiring replacement.
Photo: Rehau.
As for the heating systems of country houses, in well-equipped closed circuits in small amounts of circulating coolant (several tens of liters), the risk of scale is small. And in order to avoid it, it is enough as the water is received into the house to produce its general training, aimed at reducing stiffness, a decrease in the content of calcium and magnesium ions (we talked in detail in the article "Water - and nothing superfluous", No. 1/2015. ). Another thing is utility boiler houses, where significant volumes and constant leaks that have to compensate for. In such cases, both additional softener filters can be used in the water supply system with water and popular magnetic water activators today.
Photo: De Dietrich. A set of Titan Activ System (de Dietrich) from titanium anode with superimposed current and power supply. Its advantage - when working is not spent the anode
A much danger for household heating systems is corrosion of the metal of the heating installation. It may arise due to the heating system of oxygen from the air. Possible ways of oxygen penetration - looseness in the heating system, praise zones, an expansion tank of insufficient sizes or plastic pipes without a protective layer. It is difficult to deal with corrosion, it is much easier to ensure the tightness of the system in advance, correctly designing the outline and using pipes with a protective layer.
Corrosion damage usually occur in cases where oxygen is constantly falling into the water of the heating circuit. To avoid this, the heating installation must necessarily be closed. In cases where it is impossible to create a closed system, it is necessary to provide special measures to protect against corrosion, processing water used for heating. Along with filling the heating installation of desalted water, special chemicals can also be added. They bind free oxygen or form a film that protects against corrosion on the surface of materials. In addition to checking pressure, it should also be monitored and, if necessary, adjust the pH of the water in the heating system. It should be from 8.2 to 9.5.
Victoria Bariev
Sales Support Engineer, Bosch Termotechika
