Housing Specifier Issue 10 2018 | Page 27

On top of this, any serious turbulence can affect performance and scale up the heat exchanger – ie where there are tight bends in the system. Continuous flow water systems are the easiest system to keep scale free. Even where a ‘turnkey pack’ system such as the Rinnai Infinity Plus Storage is fitted and a booster tank added the water is unlikely to be held for 24 hours. These systems are commonly used in hotels, for example, to deal with peak demand times and because they recover in minutes due to the Rinnai unit’s efficiency, scale is never likely to be a problem. To be additionally sure limescale is never a problem, Rinnai heaters also incorporate a scale warning device that continually monitors the appliances for lime scale deposits around the heat exchanger. Once lime scale build-up is identified, a message is sent to the built-in interface panel on the front of the appliance to alert the end user that it is time to call a Rinnai service agent to perform a lime scale flush. For the sake of a small cash outlay, a zinc conditioner is a useful safeguard and one that will give end users additional peace of mind. Unlike calcium water softeners, zinc treatments need a lot less attention and could be simply built into the maintenance contract, thereby keeping costs down. For more details on RINNAI products visit www.rinnaiuk.com For a ‘belt and braces’ solution a continuous flow system, combined with zinc-based treatment means end users can virtually say goodbye to scaling. 27