What types of chemical water treatment are there?
Chemical water treatments can generally be categorised under 3 headings: • Chemicals to reduce hard water limescale precipitation – Work by adding a small quantity of phosphate to the water which reacts with the dissolved mineral ions responsible for limescale keeping them in suspension when the water is heated. Dosing devices usually have a reservoir containing phosphate pellets which typically need to be replenished once or twice per year. (Cost of replacement for a typical 3-4 bed house is circa £30 per annum). Devices are usually plumbed-in at the cold mains water inlet or before an individual appliance. • Chemicals for domestic wet central heating – There are four main types: system cleanser, corrosion inhibitor, noise reducer and leak sealer. Generally available in liquid (bottle) form and concentrate/gel (cartridge) format with one unit usually sufficient to treat a system with up to 10 radiators. Aerosol-type products deployed by a propellant have also recently entered the mark