Water Quality and Boiler Water Additives

		WATER QUALITY AND BOILER WATER ADDITIVES
			IMPORTANT NOTE
	This boiler is equipped with an aluminum heat exchanger that can be seriously damaged by failure to follow
	the following guidelines:
1)	Flush the system before connecting the boiler - In a replacement installation, ﬂushing the system will remove
		sediment, solder ﬂux, and traces of old boiler additives. Even if the system is new, do not omit this step - new
		systems will contain solder ﬂux and may even contain sediment.
2)	Make sure that the system is tight - This is the single most important guideline. Tap water contains dissolved
		oxygen which causes corrosion. In a tight system, this oxygen comes out of solution and is quickly removed
	from the system through the automatic air vent. The system then remains essentially free of oxygen. If the
		system is not tight, however, frequent additions of make-up water can expose the heat exchanger to oxygen on
	a continuous basis. In addition, frequent additions of hard make-up water can cause calcium deposits to collect
		in the heat exchanger, causing severe damage.
	To minimize additions of make-up water:
		• Inspect the system thoroughly for leaks before placing it in service.
		• If the system includes underground piping, or other piping in which a leak might go undetected, consider
		isolating the boiler from the system with a heat exchanger. Alternatively, consider installing a water meter
		in the ﬁll line to record additions of make-up water.
		• Make sure that the expansion tank is properly sized and in good condition. If it is not, the relief valve may
		open frequently, resulting in regular additions of make-up water.
3)			- Even if the system is tight, oxygen can be introduced into the system
		Radiant Tubing and Oxygen Barriers
		through some types of non-metallic	tubing used in radiant or snow melt systems. Other non-metallic tubing is
		equipped with an oxygen barrier to prevent migration of oxygen into the water. If the boiler is to be installed in
	a system containing non-metallic tubing without an oxygen barrier, it must be isolated from the boiler with a
	heat exchanger as shown in Figure 9.10.
4)	Antifreeze - Do not use antifreeze unless absolutely necessary. If antifreeze must be used, the only permitted
	antrifreezes are:

• Fernox Alphi-11

• Fernox CHP in virgin propylene glycol (available from U.S. Boiler)

If either of the above antifreezes are used, test the boiler water on an annual basis to ensure that the antifreeze remains non-corrosive. This is done with Fernox test kit I-TK (available from U.S. Boiler).

5)Other Antifreezes and Boiler Additives - Do not add other additives unless they are speciﬁcally approved in wiring by U.S. Boiler for use with this boiler. This includes other “aluminum safe” antifreezes.

6) System PH - Maintain the PH in the system between 6.5 and 8.5.

IMPORTANT NOTE