But it could be that the real damage is happening where you can’t see it.
For example, in your hot water system, if you have any electric water heaters then scale could be forming on the elements and in the pipework, causing inefficiencies and reduced water flow. If the inside of your kettle isn’t gleaming and shiny, then you’re likely to have problems elsewhere.
And the hotter the water, the more scale will form. It is for this reason that boiling water taps, which keep water at a constantly high temperature, can be particularly vulnerable to this problem. Over time they will certainly become less efficient and more prone to breaking down.
Particularly in a commercial environment, where these taps are pushed hard, heating up water all day for a constant stream of thirsty employees and visitors, the effect on the tap can be catastrophic.
- The tank itself will become lined with a hard layer of scale, because limescale sticks itself to just about anything.
- The heating element will also become covered in scale, which starts to insulate it and prevents it from heating the water quickly.
- Thermostats, if covered in scale, will not accurately detect the correct water temperature and so the unit becomes far less efficient.
- Other important components of the tap, such as valves become encrusted and do not turn on or off as effectively.
All of these factors mean that the NUMBER ONE cause of boiling water tap failure (measured through the number of engineer callouts) in hardwater areas is because of scale buildup.
The good news is that there are ways to improve this situation, and in some cases, completely eliminate it, and the method used depends on the manufacturer of your chosen tap.
Zip taps, for example, can all be fitted with a scale filter which filters out the scale before it gets to the tank. Billi take the same approach, although they take things further by actually insisting on a scale filter being fitted to your unit regardless of where you are in the country because of the general filtration the unit does.
And for the Brita Vivreau and Heatrae Sadia Aquatap, they have both opted for an electromagnetic scale reducer which does not need replacing.
Both of these methods reduce the scale problem, but they do not eliminate it completely. The Illimani tap range, on the other hand, uses a very sophisticated system, combining osmosis and filtration, which deals with virtually 100% of the scale problem.
Conclusion
So scale build-up in instant boiling water taps is a real problem, and can either ruin the appliance or mean that you are forever calling out the engineer. This is especially true in hard water areas such as London. However, there are solutions to the problem, and the best solution is provided as part of the Illimani system.
Need help deciding on boiling water provision in your workplace? Just give one of our boiling tap experts (geeks) a call on 01934 253600.
