Safe pH range in central heating water

[Trevor Rix]

Thank you everyone for your information Much appreciated.

 

[Ben-gee]

That’s a really interesting read.

Has anyone here ever filled a system with anything other than the mains water available at the property? (With the addition of inhibitor)

 

[chris watkins]

That’s a really interesting read.
Has anyone here ever filled a system with anything other than the mains water available at the property? (With the addition of inhibitor)

I know Andrew Millward does he got a cheap de-ionisation filter off internet & runs filling mains through it.
I don't do enough to warrant that but for £1.80 for 5Litres at Tesco I was thinking of refilling my mates system after all it would be cheaper than inhibitor.
It seems to be all all about getting the air out quickly (fitted an air separator) & getting the PH right.

 

[Trevor Rix]

Does anyone have access to the data sheets for Trade-Chem C100+ (C100S) inhibitor and Trade-Chem C600 power flush please? Also Trade-Chem step by step instructions on how to use the C600 power flush? I have been refused.

 

[Riley]

You have been refused??

 

[Trevor Rix]

Yes, point blank refused. Apparently the Trade-Chem policy is to only supply such information to their existing customers. Why the secrecy?

 

[Riley]

Then if I were you I’d buy another cleaner??

 

[Trevor Rix]

Unfortunately I am constrained by the choice of chemicals already made by the supplier/installer of my biomass heating system. I am suspecting that the power flush conducted this week may not have been done properly, so I want to research both the power flush and inhibitor as thoroughly as possible.

Does anyone in here have a Trade-Chem account?

 

[Riley]

I think you’re doing too much here if you suspect it’s wrong I’d be getting the company back

 

[Rob Foster]

I must have missed this one. Of course the chemical condition of ch water is important. As always the system must be tested watertight first...otherwise you will waste expensive chemicals, then drained...examine the drained water I do, then do,it again until clear. Run the whole thing up,to maximum and see what happens, drain. Then put in your preferred inhibitor as specified by the boiler manufacturer..as this is the most expensive component, use the test paper to indicate correct...photograph it...the metadata on your phone will date it anyway. Job done. I have worked with Sentinel etc often ...its good stuff but its universal and you must satisfy the boiler manu that its been done correct or your engineer nobody else. By the way Screwfix sell the same stuff under a different name way cheaper. Thats my take on this
Rob Foster aka centralheatking

 

[Jones82]

Informative thread.

I've always wondered about the presence of cleaner in the system, from what I understand I could test this with simple litmus paper? So if cleaner was present in the system the ph would read acidic? And likewise the presence of inhibitor should read alkaline?

This would make testing for inhibitor so much easier, instead of having a manufacturer specific tester... or lack of and just doing it by eye, I can simply test some drain water with litmus paper! Very interesting

 

[Trevor Rix]

At this point I don't even know if the Trade-Chem C100+ inhibitor is alkaline or acidic.

 

[Jones82]

Logically it must be alkaline.... I think 😛

 

[ShaunCorbs]

best thing to do is test it get some ph test strips

found it

http://www.thebiomassstore.co.uk/Graphics/files/C100+ Inhibitor with Biocide & T4 SDS(2).pdf

ph 9-10

 

[Trevor Rix]

Well, I have a situation this week that 50 litres of C100+ inhibitor added to fresh mains water of 6.7pH, tests at 6.0pH.

To me that suggests that the system may not have been completely flushed clean after using C600 power flush? Prior to the power flush the water was visibily brown rusty with a pH of 4.3.

 

[Trevor Rix]

It has been suggested to me that a thorough power flush of a dirty system with cleaner can't be done in one day. Maybe more like several days to a week?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

It has been suggested to me that a thorough power flush of a dirty system with cleaner can't be done in one day. Maybe more like several days to a week?

naa depends how many rads and how bad

 

[Trevor Rix]

It's a biomass system with a 650 litre buffer tank and 100 metres of underground pipe to two properties. The circuit in question is separate to any radiator circuits, that is separated by heat exchangers.

 

[Rob Foster]

It's a biomass system with a 650 litre buffer tank and 100 metres of underground pipe to two properties. The circuit in question is separate to any radiator circuits, that is separated by heat exchangers.

So its a normal domestic set up not...why did you not state this
huh...I think I would rather watch the tennis centralheatking

 

[Trevor Rix]

The suggestion is that one day was not long enough for the power flush cleaner to do its work. Plus the time it takes to thoroughly flush out the residues.