Two well known phenomena, are at the origin of most of failures or breakdowns of systems, for which water is the heating medium.

• Presence of gaz (Hydrogen)
• Presence of black sludge (Magnetite)

What disorders can be created by these two factors?

Where Hydrogen and black sludges come from?

The process starts with the impounding of the installation and is accelerated by the heat production. The water decays and the dissolved oxygen is corrosive to metals, by creating Hydrogen and black sludge.

This corrosion is as fast as there is the presence of different metals and a high temperature, which is true in a heating installation. We can add that these factors are compounded by the presence of sulfates, chlorides and other impurities in the water.

What to do in that case?

It’s necessary to treat water.

If you notice cold zones in your underfloor heating or your radiators, noises in your boiler or if the water is red or black when you drain your radiators, the nit is probably time to de-sludge your heating ciruit.

De-sludging in indispensable because deposits thickens with years and have consequences on the heating system performances, therefore on people’s comfort.

Do not hesitate to contact a professional for a diagnostic.

We recommend that you use specific chemical products for de-sludging.Warning, some of these products are aggressive and can accelerate the heating system ageing.

When the de-sludging is complete, you must inject a scale and corrosion inhibitor as a precautionary measure. It is also recomended to use a corrosion inhibitor for new equipments.

If you have a underfloor heating, it is recommended that you de-sludge your equipment every 10 years. Same goes for heating circuits.

Such operation looks expensive, yet if a heating circuit is well maintained, the boiler will work for a shorter period during the day and then last longer. So, you will be able to save between 10 and 25% of the energy.

If you de-sludge by yourself, you need to equip yourslef with professional gloves such, protection glasses 906272, and the protective suit 904641.

For tools, you will need a multifunctional tool, and more precisely a Knipex® purge key 901587. Knipex® tools are of professional quality ; you can see their products here.