No emergency is planned, and it can happen to any type of heating system. It is estimated that 30% of the European networks are full of sludge. This occurs when heating water interferes, but can it be prevented? Aalberts hydronic flow control has the expertise to prevent corrective maintenance in both old and new buildings.
How to avoid corrective maintenance?
#1 Reduce maintenance costs by preventing damage
Aalberts hydronic flow control advises implementing actions to prevent corrective maintenance at the start of a project or as early as possible. This reduces maintenance costs and extends the life cycle of the heating system (heating installation including pipes, boilers, pumps, radiators…), which is sensitive to the quality of water.
An estimated 30% of added maintenance actions occur when there is sludge. Reducing maintenance costs ensures advantageous savings, rather than paying out for expensive solutions to deal with avoidable damage.
#2 Cost-effective energy savings
The more dirt and build-up in a system, the more energy is needed to push water through pipes and to warm the building to the desired temperature. Overconsumption of energy is estimated at 18% for a boiler and 27% for a heat pump.
Dirt and sludge cause a higher resistance in engineering systems, so deterring action such as preventing dirt, allows water to circulate more easily, to transfer the heat without additional losses and thus ensures greater energy savings.
#3 Going green: reducing CO2 & water consumption
A more ecological approach does not only increase a system’s lifetime but matches with the European Green Deal Requirements. For example, if water circulates well and heat is transferred without additional losses, there is less power consumption. In example with a gas boiler the system uses less energy and thus consumes less CO2. A true advantage for system functionality and the planet!
When to consider solutions
Old and new projects
Preventative solutions are imperative for both new projects and renovations. Before a new project is put into operation, service engineers should be thinking about solutions connected to water treatment in advance, to prevent dirt build-up and thus avoid costly corrective maintenance in the future. It’s also important to consider solutions for old systems before adding new parts to the system, to avoid dirt from old parts shifting to new parts.
| A forgotten factor |
| Why is it that the prevention of corrective maintenance, and corrective maintenance itself, is a forgotten factor in projects? System issues are not always visible and appear unexpectedly, such as when a large electricity or gas bill appears! In situations like these, the high demand for electricity or gas might be linked to dirty systems, meaning corrective maintenance is needed. |
Different systems = different solutions
Depending on the size of the project, the duration and costs of performing corrective maintenance will differ. And the scope of the maintenance will depend on the heating system. From one separate flat to the whole building – the causes and consequences can be the same, to increase energy efficiency. An expert needs to be contacted to discuss maintenance solutions.
To ensure long-term savings and functionality of your system, preventing corrective maintenance should be taken into consideration as early as possible. Forgetting this essential factor could become an expensive mistake. Contact Aalberts hydronic flow control experts for assistance and advice on how to avoid corrective maintenance in old and new projects.
