Protect the performance and operation of your water boiler, so its effective and energy efficient Water Scale Management Here in the UK, we experience a variety of conditions that lead to certain parts of the country having a hard water supply. Although this type of water is not considered to be dangerous, it is far from ideal for everyday use and can seriously damage our hot water systems. Water Scale Explained Hard water is created when rainwater is forced to pass through limestone, chalk or marble and this results in a build-up of mineral salts. Hard water is particularly rich in deposits of calcium bicarbonate – CaHCo3. This mineral is originally in liquid form but eventually transforms into tiny particles and they tend to collect together inside our water pipe wall structures. They create limescale deposits and although they are miniscule, they can collect to the point where they are easily visible to the human eye. Hard Water Areas Hard water areas in the UK tend to be on the eastern half of the country and start around the South Yorkshire area. Cornwall and West Wales experience soft water, as does the North-West of England. Eastern Wales and the West Midlands are in the middle and they typically have to live with slightly hard water:
  • Hard Water – Above 200mg/l calcium carbonate
  • Slightly Hard – Between 100-200mg/l
  • Soft – 0-100 mg/l
The Damage it Can Cause So with all of this talk about hard water, exactly how harmful can it be to us and our hot water systems? Well, your laundry will be visibly affected if you live in a hard water area because the hard minerals can react to dirty clothes and may form some very difficult to remove salts. These will damage the clothes and they’ll look rather worse for wear after this coming together. Dishwashers will also come off second best when hard water is added to the equation and taking a bath in hot hard water can often leave your skin and hair both irritated and slightly acidic. But the real damage that people tend to talk about with regards to hard water is the way it affects our water boiler systems and pipework. The scale that builds up when the hard water is heated can lead to pipe replacement being required and an increases of up to 25% in the energy bills. Hard Water Treatment In order to reduce these costly side effects of living in a hard water area, certain steps are required to be carried out. Water scale management is all about prevention rather than cure. Essentially, you need to seek advice with regards to fitting the most appropriate filter system onto your water boiler and instant hot tap system. These filters can effectively reduce the presence of lime scale in your hot water and your boiler system and pipes will all benefit. Fitting these scale management systems really is a no brainer for those who are living in hard water areas here in the UK. For more information on our water filters for scale management please click here.