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Rod Rod is offline
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Default Water Softener - building regs?

neverwas wrote:
I was deeply suspicious. So I found this:


Me too; and as we are still contemplating a new boiler I
also looked. But it looks as if it is (sort of) true.

I found this book (?)
http://www.hipstudent.co.uk/pdf/watertreatment.pdf which
includes a page with a heading "Changes to the Building
Regulations this April now require anyone installing a new
domestic boiler to fit a water treatment device to its feed
water, wherever the water hardness is above 200ppm."

Same statement is repeated in
http://www.aqua-nouveau.co.uk/wp-con...etter_d299.pdf
That also cites the Domestic Heating Compliance Guide�
published May 2006 but gives a bit more detail by quoting
BS7593 (revised 2006) "�To minimise the likelihood of
corrosion, scale and sludge formation, the system water
should be treated with an inhibitor� and then back to the
�Compliance Guide� to quote �In hard water areas where the
total hardness exceeds 200mg.l / ppm*, reasonable provision
would also include water treatment of the feed water to
water heaters and the hot water circuit of combination
boilers to reduce the build-up of limescale."


Obviously not a wholly disinterested source.


ditto.

But isn't there a bit more in the BR_PDF_PTL_DOMHEAT.pdf?
Eg Table 1 *does* include (row d para d) that "where the
mains water hardness exceeds 200ppm provision should be made
to treat the feed water to water heaters and the hot water
circuit of combination boilers to reduce the rate of
accumulation of lime scale�. And that's domestic GFCH.

I have no idea whether this is justified. But with sealed
systems needing so little water added I do wonder if it is
another bit of over-regulation which has been slipped
through - possibly as a result self of another of the then
Deputy Prime Minister's lot being captured by a
lobby-group?

In any event, help please - I'm confused.


You are right. I had this strange idea that a requirement to fit a
softener would at least contain the word soft~ - which is what I
searched for.

In my area the council usually says there are something like 160,000
souls. Assume four per dwelling (very rough guess) so that would be
40,000 properties which will, in due course, require 40,000 water
treament mechanisms. To be supplied, fitted, fed with salt, maintained
and, eventually, disposed of (then replaced...). So much more sensible
than the water company supplying softer water by, for example, some
central treatment.

Seems that Thames Valley is rated at around 300-350 ppm.

Odd, when we got quotes for a new boiler, no mention of this was made
any of the quoters. (That project is still on hold.)

--
Rod

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