Need for water treating

• To avoid scale / corrosion / sludge in

heating installations

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 Water
The evolution of water quality concerns
almost every heating system, notably :
- At the time of filling
- During the life of the installation

Water is part of the environment and, according to the

installations environmental conditions, its quality
evolves.

This is why it has to be checked.

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 The heating systems

Current customer requirements

and higher energy costs tend to:

A better environmental protection

• Saving the energy
•Most efficient boilers
• Modulating boilers allowing power adaptation to the
installation needs

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 The various
heat exchangers materials

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 Cast iron

• Scale:

Big volumes in water, big exchange surfaces, huge

thermal shock resistance

• Corrosion :
Good resistance, important thickness

• Sludge
Big volumes in water, wide passages of water, solution
sludge removal kit
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 Stainless steel
• Scale: TH maxi: 10°f
Large amounts of water thus more deposit
• Sludge:
Large amounts of water, thus lower speed of flow ,
thus more deposit
• pH :
Recommended pH between 8,2 and 9,5 (Variable
pH according to quality of stainless steel); Thus
obligation to treat the water
• Chlorides:
Important sensibility for chlorides, thus need
indeed to rinse the installation before filling, pay
attention to water softener during the filling
• Difficulty recycling stainless steel:
Presence of chromium
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 Aluminium-silicon cast iron

• Alloy made up mainly

of aluminium and
Silicon

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 Aluminium-silicon cast iron
• Material resistant to the acidity of condensates

Generate a coat of auto-passivation

Adapted to the condensing principle

pH value lower than 8,5

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 Aluminium-silicon cast iron

Excellent thermal conductivity allowing to:

Reduce the size of the heating sections, and to obtain very
compact boilers

Decrease the boilers water volume

Very important ranges of modulation from 20 to 100 %, and

possibility by the control unit to adapt itself the power to the
needs of the installation

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 Aluminium-silicion cast iron

Very good thermal exchange; thus boiler of weak volume

Weak density; = "light" boiler

FACILITATED IMPLEMENTATION

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 Water treatment

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 Water balance

• Water balance depends on 3

essential factors to obtain a water of
good quality
• Hardness
• pH
• Alkalinity

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 Various types of corrosion

• Corrosion due to oxygen

• Acid corrosion
• Galvanic corrosion
• Corrosion under deposit
• The corrosion by stings bound to
chlorides
• The erosion corrosion
• The corrosion under constraint
• The bacterial corrosion, or
Biocorrosion

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 Scale

TH < 15°F = No treatment

15<TH < 25°F = Considered
25<TH < 35°F = Recommended
TH >35°F = Essential

• Aggressive water - > risk of corrosion

• Calcifying water - > scaling
• Calco-carbonic balance

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 The alkalinity

• The alkalinity represents the

content in bicarbonates and
carbonates of the water. It
indicates the water capacity
to absorb the fluctuations in
the PH) The ideal value must
be superior to 100mg / L

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 Scaling
-At room temperature, calcium
salts and magnesium are soluble
in the water.
-When the installation water is
warmed up these salts settle down
mainly in the boiler and create an
insulating deposit

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 Scale
• Generally: Main component of hardness

• Origin : Dissolution of calcareous rocks by

the rainwater (especially acid) and of the
CO2 (atmospheric or by bacterial)

• Problem : Precipitation (scaling) when the

water is warmed up or during increases of
concentration ( osmoseur )
• Avantage : Protect the piping from rusting

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 Limestone (scale) formation

Heat
Ca(HCO3 )2 CaCO3 + CO2 + H 2O

100
80
ppm 60
40
20
0
10 33 66 100
Temperature in °C

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 Scale
The scale is 100 times less
conductive than the steel

VAPOR WATER

SCALE

METAL

• Noise in the boiler

• Imbalance of exchange which provokes
tensions in the section
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 Corrosion due to oxygen
• The oxygen corrodes the tubes steel and
precipitates then in the form of iron oxides

SLUDGE

The dissolved iron evolves in time towards a solid shape:

The oxide of iron called collectively mud
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 Corrosion by oxygen

• Sludge settle at the low points of the

installation and thus often in the boilers.

Risks of breakage

Mud-scale mix

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 Corrosion under deposit
• Electrochemical phenomenon between the
slightly oxygenated zones (under deposit) and of
the rich oxygenated zones.
Cold zone

O
2 O2
P1 P2

Corrosion under deposit P1 < P2

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 Corrosion Mechanism under
deposit
02
0
O2 2 O2 0O 2
2

Cathode
Cathode
Dépôt Anode
Cathode

e- e-

Anode Enlargement of
Agrandissement de la
partie inférieure
the deposit at the
du radiateur

bottom of the
radiator.
Corrosion sous dépôt

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 Pitting corrosion
Pitting is a localized corrosion phenomenon which
weakens the area. It is in fact a localized galvanic corrosion
influenced by the water (chlorides, sulphates…) and the
alloy composition.

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 Pitting on aluminium

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 Corrosion/Erosion

Mechanism of the phenomenon of

corrosion erosion
Example of corrosion
/ erosion of a copper
tube

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 The bacterial corrosion or Biocorrosion

Bacteria sulfato reducing ( BSR) are

generally responsible for this type
of corrosion:
-Anaerobic bacteria (thus develop in absence of
oxygen, mainly under deposit)

-They form a biofilm on the surface of the metal

-They transform sulfates (presents in the water),
in sulphide

-These sulphides are going to provoke

corrosions (piqûration, perforation)

-Modify the environment by variation of the pH,

be able to generate acid corrosions

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 Sludging of the heating floors
Bacteria develop and damage the installation
(release of acids, filtering of particles, partial or
complete obstruction of networks)

Filamentous bacteria
seen through a microscope

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 The pH
- PH = Potential in Hydrogen
- Measure of a solution acidity or alkalinity according
to its hydrogen-ion concentration expressed on a
logarithmic scale from one to fourteen.
- Water with a 5 pH value will be 10 times more acid
than water with a 6 pH value, and 100 times more
acid than water with a pH value of 7.

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 In absence of rustproofing, metals
are sensitive to the pH:
– Aluminum corrodes when pH < 4.5 and pH > 8.5
– Steel corrodes when pH < 9.6
– Copper corrodes when pH < 7 and pH > 12

Steel
Aluminium
Copper pH and
Corrosion metals

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 pH

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 Product compatibility
Brand A
Product A
OK with aluminium-
silicon

Brand A
Product B
pH no compatible
with aluminium-
silicon

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 Compatibility of the ranges of products

Example of product with unadapted water

treatment:

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 Galvanic corrosion

• Due to a difference of potential

between 2 different metals in touch
with some water ( start by
difference > 50mV)

• Rarely in the boiler

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 Electrochemical potential of metals

GOLD : + 250mV
COPPER : + 40mV
BRONZE : 0mV
WELDING : - 180mV
TIN : - 200mV
STEEL : - 400mV
CAST IRON : - 470mV
GALVA : - 800mV
ZINC : - 850mV
MAGNESIUM : - 1350mv
STAINLESS STEEL : +250mV to -100mV
ALUMINIUM and alloys : -350mV to -700mV

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 The water traitement effect

+ -

Fe
ALU Water traitement
SILI Cu

PEX

Water

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 Chronology of the phenomena
O2 release Layer of sediment
Corrosion by 02
Reactions (additions of water)
Bacterial
between metals
proliferation
(H2)

hours weeks month years

Slapping
Noises in boiler Metal scale
radiators in the installation

Noises in the radiators Sludge

and the boiler
Under floor heating system

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 How to determine if an installation
is sludged?
There is a simple and visual way :

Such a water is a water loaded with iron oxides, 2 - 3

times more viscous as a classic heating water: the
unsludging is compulsory

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 One of the consequences of the sludging of an
installation:
Dysfunction of a condensing boiler

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 Simple and easy control

Control test Prepaid analysis

Control kit

Turbidimeter

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 Code of practice -
Recommendations for installation

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 Installation of aluminum-silicon boiler

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 Code of practice - Installation

More generally the heating water

quality of the installation will
have to correspond to the
exercise book N ° 3114 of the
CSTB " Heating system with
warm water "

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 Code of practice - Installation

• Advised installation

Sludge pot on return pipe before

the boiler
Effective bleed off system
Water treatment station
Cold water meter on the filling pipe

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 Code of practice - Maintenance
• Various types of product

« Universal cleaning »: to clean the new

installations of the remainders of flow, pickling
solutions, greases .

« The inhibitors »: to prevent the formation of scale

and corrosion in the installation .

« Scaling substances »: to reduce scale in the boilers

The unsludging products which allow

to clean installations
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 Code of practice - Maintenance
• The products must be adapted :
In accordance with the materials in the
installation (steel, cast iron, aluminium, PEX
,…)
Not be acid or corrosive
Not to sensitive to overdoses because
proportioning are never really accurate
Not to degrade itself with time

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 Why offer water treatment ?
• Insure the installation sustainability
• Avoid the interventions on-site return for breakdowns
and/or changes of parts
• Insure or restore the energy efficiency of the installation
and allow the customer to save energy!
• Contribute to reduce CO2 emissions

• Legal side: obligation of Advise via the certificate of

maintenance to optimize the whole heating system
(boiler and peripherals) (compulsory since November
1st, 2009)

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

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 Conclusion
• Water treatment is required before any boiler
replacement
• Evolution of the job by the integration of new very
different materials and new assembly techniques
(PEX,crimping, etc.) to take into account
• Importance to take well into account the
phenomena due to corrosion to avoid the AFTER-
SALES SERVICE problems, regardless of the heat
exchanger material.
• Integrate water treatment as a systematic post of
any offer (cleaning and treatment)

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 Do you have questions?

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