Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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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
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The heating systems
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The various
heat exchangers materials
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Cast iron
• Scale:
• 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
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Aluminium-silicon cast iron
• Material resistant to the acidity of condensates
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Aluminium-silicon cast iron
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Aluminium-silicion cast iron
FACILITATED IMPLEMENTATION
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Water treatment
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Water balance
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Various types of corrosion
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Scale
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The alkalinity
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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
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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
SLUDGE
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
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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
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The bacterial corrosion or Biocorrosion
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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
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Galvanic corrosion
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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)
Slapping
Noises in boiler Metal scale
radiators in the installation
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How to determine if an installation
is sludged?
There is a simple and visual way :
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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 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
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Code of practice - Installation
• Advised installation
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Code of practice - Maintenance
• Various types of product
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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
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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