Boilers are expensive pieces of machinery essential for heating up living spaces, manufacturing processing, or air and surface sterilization. Cast iron and steel are the most common materials used in these boilers. These metal surface materials react with water and create two main issues: scale and corrosion. Chemical water treatment chemicals can effectively resolve and prevent these issues.
An important factor when working with boiler chemicals is to balance the pH effectively. Alkalinity builder chemicals (raising the pH) help with corrosion and acid chemicals (lower pH) help with scale/foaming. You will not want to go too much in either direction. Your boiler manufacturer should have guidelines on the proper pH level to keep your system at.
On the waterside of the boiler, the first thing you should worry about is scale. Scale deposits form an insulation layer that reduces the heat transfer in your boiler. This reduces efficiency, in turn, increasing your energy costs. Less than 1/8 inch or 3.2 mm can result in a 15% drop in efficiency. The more scale that builds up, the higher the inefficiency will be. When it comes to removing scale deposits, it generally takes as long to remove as it did to build up. Therefore, if you can prevent it or remove it as soon as possible, it will save you a lot of headaches. Hard water has more minerals that can form scale deposits.
| Efficiency Loss | 5% | 10% | 15% | 20% |
| Scale Buildup in mm | .4 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
| Scale Buildup in inches | .016 | .043 | .094 | .177 |
(Data from the company, “Accepta”)
Solid substances that form scale consist of calcium carbonate, silica, magnesium, phosphate, and iron. These dissolved substances will leave scale deposits over time if the water is left untreated. Thankfully, scale inhibitors can prevent this.
The iron in boilers reacts with oxygen/water which disintegrates the metal and creates rust. The harder the water and the higher the temperature it is running at, the more corrosive the water will be. High oxygen levels will also lead to an increased amount of corrosion. The chart below shows how oxygen levels decrease with higher temperatures. Although oxygen levels are lower, they are still becoming more corrosive at higher temperatures as the corrosive agents (water and oxygen) have increased kinetic energy. This energy creates faster reactions, in turn, leading to more corrosion.
| Dissolved Oxygen in mg/l | 14 | 11 | 9 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Temperature °C | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 |
| Temperature °F | 32 | 50 | 68 | 86 | 104 | 122 | 140 | 158 | 176 | 194 | 212 |
(Data from the company, “B & V Chemicals”)
Oxygen scavengers get rid of dissolved oxygen in the water. The amount of oxygen scavengers needed will depend on the concentration of oxygen in the water.
Our full-service boiler treatment services involve providing and installing necessary water treatment equipment such as feed and controllers. We provide scheduled treatment at regular intervals. We do not miss scheduled treatment, surveys, or meetings. If we say we will be there we will show up. Our chemicals are specifically tailored for your boiler system to keep it operating as efficiently and problem-free as possible. Need boiler treatment help? Fill out a fast contact form or get in touch by calling us at (380) 224-7395. We look forward to helping you!
