Catalytic vs Salt Based Conditioners
ActivFlo’s catalytic water conditioner changes the structure of hard water without using salts or chemicals. The treated water prevents limescale build-up and reduces existing limescale problems, saving you money on your bills.
ActivFlo Water Conditioners make heating systems and appliances more efficient. Pipework and appliances last longer and work better with water treated by an ActivFlo water conditioner.
ActivFlo doesn’t take up valuable cupboard space and once fitted no maintenance is required. One ActivFlo water conditioning device is enough to protect an entire home.
No hassle, no on-going costs and no maintenance. ActivFlo is the easy solution to hard water problems.
Hard Water Explained
These two phrases are very useful in helping understand why scale forms. Put simply, water that is under saturated is water that is hungry for minerals, super saturated is water that minerals in solution and so must precipitate it. Water that is undersaturated is water is unlikely to scale. Water that is supersaturated is water that is already probably creating limescale formation.
Calcium is what is known as an inverse soluble mineral, it will readily dissolve in cold water and acidic water, but the warmer the water the less calcium will dissolve, a good example is sugar which is the opposite. Sugar will readily dissolve into a hot cup of coffee but as the coffee cools sugar will crystalise at the bottom of the cup…… It is the opposite with calcium.
When water collects and absorbs calcium it is cold and usually underground where the pressure is much higher causing the water to be much more acidic, a perfect environment for calcium to dissolve itself into water.
As water reaches our homes and we start to use it for heating, spraying or cleaning, affecting the temperature and pressure impacting the amount of calcium that can remain in solution. Water will always maintain a level of equilibrium, it cannot naturally hold more minerals in solution than its environment dictates so calcium will always precipitate from solution to maintain that equilibrium and explains why we see scale formation on the ends of taps, and showers in domestic situations, and far more damaging in commercial heating pipework and boilers.
The ActivFlo conditioner causes calcium to precipitate with bi-carbonate to form an insoluble CaCo3. The treated water is now ‘under saturated’ with the bulk of the calcium now suspended in a crystal form. So now, when the treated water comes into contact with heat, because there is very little calcium left in solution, calcite scale does not form. ActivFlo has conditioned the water to become under saturated and become non scale forming and break down existing scale deposits.
Hard Water Explained
Water is a universal solvent, it is also used in everyday life for cleaning, drinking, keeping us warm etc. What we see when we look at water is a clear liquid, but within that liquid are thousands of dissolved particles, mostly minerals which are a key ingredient for our everyday water. These particles come either from gasses absorbed from the air or minerals absorbed from underground rivers and from lakes. These minerals are not only essential for our health but also help to keep water useable and whatever is dissolved in water dictate the ‘’quality’’ of the water. Water without any minerals or dissolved gasses is effectively acid and would not only be bad for consumption but would corrode all pipework, pumps and valves it would flow through so maintaining an element of dissolved particles in water is essential.
Water will naturally look to exist in a state of constant equilibrium, i.e water will dissolve as much minerals as it can possibly dissolve and the amount that can be dissolved can be effected by changes in temperature and pressure. A good analogy to use is a sponge. Think of the sponge as the water, and the water as minerals. You place a completely dry sponge in a bucket of water and It will absorb as much water as it can possibly hold, pick the sponge up and squeeze it and some water will come out, not all of the water only what the sponge can no longer hold. The relationship between water and minerals is the same, water will absorb as much minerals as it can hold, heating water reduces the amount of minerals that can stay in solution so these minerals will precipitate so equilibrium between solute (the minerals) and solvent (the water) can be maintained.
Most potable water we see is close to equilibrium as it has had the chance to absorb minerals from underground rivers on its journey to our homes. The main mineral that is dissolved in our waters is calcium (Ca++) and the dominant dissolved gasses are bi-carbonate (Hc03–) caused by the dissolution of calcium carbonate from limestone aquifers. The presence of these minerals helps to regulate the corrosiveness of our water, and as we consume
water everyday it is also a good vehicle for consuming minerals. The water is super saturated with minerals, what the conditioner is required to do is create a under saturated water condition, without removing the minerals.
Catalytic Water Conditioning
Treatment has other benefits too, as the treated water is no undersaturated of calcium carbonate it will want to absorb existing deposits to maintain an equilibrium. This process very much depends on a number of factors such as volume of water used, amount of existing scale deposited, however in a relatively short period of time the existing deposits will start to soften and can easily be removed.
As stated earlier the Activflo does not remove anything, nor does it add anything to the water. Therefore calcium is still present in the water, it is just no longer dissolved in water. If treated water is left to evaporate, for example if a kettle is left with a small amount of water in it that evaporates, a deposit will be left but this will be noticeably softer and easier to remove.
The greatest benefit from Activflo is in the areas that you cant see, inside your pipes and heating equipment where the greatest levels of scale will form and cause the most amount of damage. Scale accumulation will cause an increase in energy bills (every 1mm of scale in a domestic boiler will increase energy by 7%) and lead to premature servicing and equipment replacement. It is here where Activflo will provide the greatest benefit, saving you money
and unnecessary service calls.
Catalytic Water Conditioning
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is the main cause of scale problems. What we consider scale is known as the calcite form of calcium carbonate. Like many compounds calcium carbonate is a polymorph mineral, it can take different forms but each form is made of the same parts. H20 itself is an example of a polymorph compound, it can take the form of ice, snow, water, steam… all H20 but in different forms.
Calcite scale forms when water is either heated or subjected to a change in pressure like when water flows out a tap or is being pumped. Scaling can cause premature equipment failure, reduce thermal efficiency and lead to premature maintenance. A catalytic water conditioner is one that that prevents calcite scale by converting calcium carbonate to a form which does not adhere to surfaces. Once treated calcium carbonate takes the form of aragonite that has a much smoother crystal structure which stays suspended in the water and flows harmlessly through the system and eventually out of the drain.
As water passes through the catalytic conditioners it is exposed to a small electrical charge on the surface of the alloy and a series of pressure drops caused by the shape of the alloy. These actions cause the precipitation of calcium carbonate which forms an insoluble aragonite crystal. These crystals, microscopic in size, do not have the same bonding properties compared to calcite scale, and will remain suspended in the water and will flow out
through the drain. Its not a filter so does not remove minerals totally from the water, water still retains its mineral benefits. If treated water is left to evaporate the remaining mineral residue will take the form of a soft chalk which can be easily wiped away.
Catalytic Water Conditioning
Laminar flow is where the flow and water moves smoothly through the pipe in layers, different flow speeds in uniform from the surface of the pipe to the centre of the pipe. Momentum convection is less, and viscous forces are higher than inertial forces.
Turbulent flow is highly irregular particle movement and now inertial forces are dominant. The flow velocity characteristic is flat across the center section of a pipe and drops rapidly extremely close to the walls. The average flow velocity is approximately equal to the velocity at the center of the pipe. It is a principle used in design of plate heat exchangers to maximise heat transfer. The same principle works for water conditioning and the ordering of the calcite molecules.
The different characteristics of Laminar and Turbulent Flow was first researched in the 19th century by Osbourne Reynolds, and the resultant work is the basis for much of our fluid dynamics knowledge to this day. The ‘Reynolds Factor’ is key to also plate heat exchanger design.
Water flows around a unique alloy coil within the Activflo water conditioner.
This accelerates a reaction between the limescale minerals and the metals withincatalytic alloy core – the result of this reaction forms a mineral which cannot settle on any surfaces therefore preventing the formation of scale.
Catalytic Water Conditioning
To create the turbulence for the catalytic effect the flow rate through the ActivFlo has to be within the nominal flow band parameters. Outside of that nominal flow minimum and maximum the effect diminishes.
Flow rates maybe part of the system design values and already calculated, or can be measured by a water meter located upstream of the conditioner. Select below the ActivFlo size to resolve lime scale issues.
Flow rates in M3/Hour.
Impressed Current Catalytic Water Conditioners, flanged and threaded connections:
