Dr Neil Watson, Technical Director at Adey Professional Heating Solutions, explains how the manufacturer is delivering a holistic approach to chemical water treatment which has the installer at its heart.
Chemicals for dosing central heating systems have been around for many years and are a key part of any good water treatment programme. Although Adey is relatively new to this market, thanks to considerable investment in our research and development laboratory in Kent, we have been able to create our own chemical formulations which are rigorously tested to ensure they not only meet, but surpass, BuildCert CIAS standards.
Smart chemistry
The benefit of having our own laboratory at our research centre means we have full control over what goes into the chemicals. Perhaps even more crucially, it allows us a greater understanding of how chemical formulations work together and ensures we can be specific about using the right balance of ingredients to get the best performance; a process we refer to as ‘smart chemistry’. For example, this approach enabled us to create a range of cleaners and inhibitors that complement each other to achieve the best results.
Stand out innovation
Using ‘smart chemistry’, we’ve been able to design in key product developments to our MC+ range to ensure that it stands out against our competitors. Our MC3+ Cleaner protects vulnerable metals in the heating system (such as aluminium) during the cleaning process. This means that it can be dosed up to a month in advance of flushing, significantly reducing the time on site to complete the MagnaCleanse flushing process.
The time-saving benefit of being able to leave a chemical cleaner in a system is hugely important, as it gives installers a clear advantage. Once the installer has been out to see a property and identified that the heating system needs cleaning, using RAPIDE MC3+ Cleaner they are able to dose the system there and then, in just 20 seconds without the need to drain down or reduce system pressure. This starts the cleaning process immediately rather than having to circulate the cleaner for an hour or so with the heating on when the engineer comes back to flush.
Benefits for all
As well as clear benefits to installers, Adey’s range of chemicals have advantages for boiler manufacturers as well. We have developed our MC1+ Protector to treat 125 litres of system water, or up to up to 15 radiators, because research has shown that more than 25% of typical heating systems are in excess of 100-litre capacity. A single dose of MC1+ Protector, however, treats 97% of all typical heating systems in the UK.
Any boiler manufacturer can be happy that, if an installer is using Adey’s chemicals, and adding one bottle per system, as is often the ‘rule of thumb’ regardless of system size, it is far more likely to be dosed correctly than if a product formulated for only 100-litre systems has been used. This keeps the warranty intact and reduces the risk of problems or breakdown in the future.
The control Adey has over its own chemical formulation development means we’ve been able to adapt our MC1+ Protector to include elements that compensate for a certain amount of cleaner residue left in the system. This helps in real-world situations where some sections of a heating system are difficult to flush, due to dead-legs for example. This is something which we believe is unique in the industry. Furthermore, given that we also manufacture our own products, we test every single batch we make to the BuildCert CIAS Performance Standard before it is released to market. This means that our customers can be assured of product performance consistency.
At Adey, we are committed to making a difference for installers. Whether this is helping save time or providing them with the most effective tools which are problem solving, our MC+ range has been developed by the industry’s most experienced chemists. Our ‘smart chemistry’ approach is a key part of this, and sets us apart from all others.
