Corrosion Problems

Problems	Solutions	Case Studies	KorrosionGUARD

Treating limescale, corrosion and acidic condensate

All untreated water systems are subject to corrosion and it is vital to take the appropriate preventative measures to ensure ongoing system integrity.

Corrosion in water systems is the cause of a wide range of problems. Invariably, when corrosion occurs it attacks the less noble metals in the system such as mild steel and aluminium, which have low resistance to corrosive attack and oxidation resulting from oxygen in the water.

Corrosion can be caused by a number of factors. These include poor commissioning, leading to fouling of the system by installation debris and contaminants such as metal swarf, soldering flux (which may be acidic), jointing compounds, grease etc. Air ingress can also cause corrosion, as the oxygen in the air will oxidise the metals.

Corrosion in the system can cause any of the following:

• Leaking – and eventual failure of the system.
• Pin holes - caused by galvanic corrosion.
• Heavy deposits of black sludge – fouling the system.
• Generation of highly flammable hydrogen gas – a potential fire hazard.
• System noise
• Magnetite sludge – forming and building into an immovable mass.

In all of these cases, the cause of the problem must be rectified and the system must be thoroughly cleaned and treated with inhibitor.