In line descaler

[Aidex]

Hi Everyone

A friend has just had a new boiler with an in line descaler fitted to his incoming cold supply after the stopcock. As we're getting all new plumbing he said we should get one.

First thing, do these things work/are they worth it?

My real concern is that it will reduce flow rate. We've just had a new 25mm supply put in which we want to run into a (to be fitted) unvented cylinder (in 25mm). The in line descalers I've found online are 15 or 22mm so that would mean reducing the new supply to 22mm. Can you get descalers in 25mm or should we put it somewhere else? Having paid for a new supply to have increased flow I'd rather not reduce it just for a descaler.

Thanks for your help!

A 😉

 

[SimonG]

The connection and fittings for the cylinder will be 22mm anyway.

 

[village idiot]

Hi Everyone

A friend has just had a new boiler with an in line descaler fitted to his incoming cold supply after the stopcock. As we're getting all new plumbing he said we should get one.

First thing, do these things work/are they worth it?

My real concern is that it will reduce flow rate. We've just had a new 25mm supply put in which we want to run into a (to be fitted) unvented cylinder (in 25mm). The in line descalers I've found online are 15 or 22mm so that would mean reducing the new supply to 22mm. Can you get descalers in 25mm or should we put it somewhere else? Having paid for a new supply to have increased flow I'd rather not reduce it just for a descaler.

Thanks for your help!

A 😉

Did your friend tell you where to put the one you get?
If you are going to be protecting the whole house, why not fit a water softener?

 

[Aidex]

Hi Guys

I thought unvented cylinders could have water coming into and out of them larger than 22mm? If the feed in/out is max 22mm then I assume fitting one won't reduce flow?

He had a new boiler fitted and the engineer fitted one for him. He said it went after the "stopcock tap thingy" 🙂. I assumed he meant where his mains water comes in (to offer full house protection). But then again the gas engineer might have fitted it before the boiler?

To be honest we'd not thought of descalers/water softeners when replumbing. If they work I think it's a worthwhile thing (given the state of our old kettle) but I'd like it to be a whole house thing and to not reduce incoming flow or pressure (both are currently very good).

Are there any systems you can recommend that I can have a read up on? We're having an extension done later this year so we could also look to getting it put in at that stage (that's when the unvented cylinder will go in).

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Ermintrude]

Water softner

 

[Killy Bing]

Water softener for whole house protection

magnetic scale reducers work somewhat but you need em at point of use, not for a whole house application.
electronic ones.....the data backing them up is.....shady....

where as water softeners actually work 🙂

look at harvey water softeners, good product, easy to refill and their back up is good in the event anything goes wrong with the unit

 

[lame plumber]

my old magnetic one worked a treat, never got kettle scaling again when it was in and that was in Portsmouth hard water area of the south

 

[AWheating]

whats the ppm/hardness of your water supply?

if its over 200ppm then a scale reducer will be needed to help protect your new system and keep its warranty vaild. If its very high you may want to consider a softner.

the 25mm mdpe main has an outside dia of aprox 25mm and an inside dia of approx 20.5mm

 

[village idiot]

If you're doing all the work that you say you're doing, it will be 'foolish' not to fit a water softenner.
It's cost effective. Advice fitter to provide extra drinking tap directly served from mains water. One of my boys (9 yrs old) will not drink from the softenned side of sink. He claims he doesn't like the taste? I'm confused but had to fit an extra tap with hard water to keep the peace

 

[WHPES]

A lot of boiler manufacturers recommend polyphosphate scale prevention such as the Liff Combiflo. If you go down this route you are best to get the type you can refill with beads rather than the cartridge type ones which are expensive to replace cartridges.

I agree - softened water does taste different to me.

 

[Ray Stafford]

whats the ppm/hardness of your water supply?

^^^^^^^^
This

Everything is guess work without this.

 

[Aidex]

Hi Everyone

Thank you all for your posts!

We've not had the water tested but I spoke to the water company and they said the watering in our area/postcode is "hard". They told me the total hardness is 300mg/l (Googled this to 300ppm) made primarily from calcium which accounts for 120mg/l. They class anything over 300mg/l as very hard.

I'm guessing water softener with whole house protection is needed? Are these hard to fit/DIYable (do Regs allow for DIY) or should we ask the gas engineer to do it as part of the new boiler installation?

Thanks again! 🙂

 

[Aidex]

We could also wait 7-8 months and have it done by the builders doing the extension if trying to do it ourselves is a big no no.