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Would a water softener cause radiators to leak?

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  • 20-11-2009 12:20pm
    #1
    podge3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭


    My house is about 10 years old with a conservatory built about 5 years ago.

    In the past 12 months 3 radiators have leaked, the most recent one in the conservatory.

    I have a water softener in the house as we have very hard water. I'm wondering if this could be causing the problem? I am now concerned that all my rads will start leaking and I need to find out whats causing it before I replace them all.


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I would think about a power flush to clean out all the contaminated water and then have a inhibitor added to prevent further damage to your rads from the water, a power flush costs between 300 and 700 euro, the results tend to be very good, have a look at http://www.fernox.com/index.php?cccpage=ps_radiators for further info, Gary


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    #3
    ART6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    Leaking rads can be caused by a leak somewhere, particularly in atmospheric systems (with the small tank in the attic) since the water in the heating system will be continuously replaced with oxygenated water. That causes the rads to rust from the inside out. I'd suggest checking for pipework leaks before you do any flushing. If you have an atmospheric system the easy way to check is to tie up the ball valve in the tank and see if the level drops.


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    #4
    mukki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,669 ✭✭✭mukki


    ART6 wrote: »
    Leaking rads can be caused by a leak somewhere


    :eek:





    :D


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    #5
    RobbieM
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭RobbieM


    what type of water softener do you have?


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    #6
    podge3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭podge3


    Thanks for the replies lads.

    RobbieM wrote: »
    what type of water softener do you have?
    Its salt based (works on osmosis?)


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    #7
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    is it a pressureised or open vented system ?


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    #8
    podge3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭podge3


    Outkast_IRE wrote: »
    is it a pressureised or open vented system ?
    Open vented system.


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    #9
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    have you tied up the ballcock in the small expansion tank and watched if the waterlevel dropped much over the space of a day or two.


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    #10
    podge3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭podge3


    Outkast_IRE wrote: »
    have you tied up the ballcock in the small expansion tank and watched if the waterlevel dropped much over the space of a day or two.
    No, but I'll do it over the next few days.


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    #11
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Mark the tank and if the level drops much it means that you have a leak and fresh water is constantly being added to system this can cause radiators to go


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    #12
    podge3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭podge3


    More (possibly related?) trouble over here.


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