10
Sep

Boiler Corrosion

Corrosion is caused by a a chemical reaction, there are more types of reactions than from water and air. Boiler corrosion is due to a reaction between the metal of its pipework and the water that passes through. London Plumbers can provide and use corrosion inhibitors. To check for this: Remove 600ml of water from the boiler or a radiator. Orange water denotes rusting, and black the presence of sludge. If there is nothing obvious to indicate corrosion, test for inhibitor levels by placing two plain steel nails into a jar containing some water from the system and place two similar nails in a jar of clean tap water. After a few days the nails in the tap water should rust, but if the system contains sufficient corrosion inhibitor, the nails in the system water will remain bright, if they don’t your system needs topping with inhibitor. A trained Plumber always carries the correct tools. It is important to use the same product that is already present in the system, if you don’t know what it is, then flush the system, then refill with fresh water and new inhibitor. Corrosion Inhibitor can slow down corrosion. This is best done when the system is first installed, but the inhibitor can be introduced into the system at any time, provided the boiler is descaled first. If the system has been running for some time, it is better to flush it out first by draining and refilling it repeatedly until the water runs clean. Otherwise drain off about 20ltrs (4 gallons) of water, enough to empty the feed and expansion tank and a small amount of pipework, then pour the inhibitor into the tank and restore the water supply which will carry the inhibitor into the pipes. About 5ltrs (1gallon) will be enough for most systems, but check the manufacturer’s instructions. Finally, switch on the pump to distribute the inhibitor throughout the system. You could buy and fit low voltage coils that clamp around the boilers pipework to create a magnetic field that will prevent the heat exchanger of your boiler becoming coated with scale.

Share
Plumber London