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Condensate – a problem that needs addressing?
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Salamander Engineering, part of water treatment specialist Sentinel Performance Solutions Group, has addressed the potential problem being caused by the huge quantity of condensate that is increasingly making its way into drains and soak aways around the country from high efficiency condensing boilers following the changes to Part L of the Building Regulations at their last update.
Salamander’s Dr Paul Day says the sheer volume of acidic waste now being discharged to the drainage system and the interest being shown from a number of sources in the industry in condensate neutraliser products, would suggest that the concern is wider spread than the deafening silence on the subject might suggest: “We know that the condensate generated by the growing numbers of condensing boilers installed across the UK is acidic discharge at around pH 4.0, but considering the age of much – if not most – of the drainage infrastructure in the UK and the huge quantity of condensate being discharged without treatment to the sewers, it seems that ‘what do we need to do about it?” is a question we should ask and one we should consider having a viable response to, in case we discover that it is causing a problem,” says Paul Day. “Indeed a much smaller quantity – but a significant amount still – is discharged to ‘soak aways’ and if the quantity was high enough, it could have an impact on groundwater, which bearing in mind how much of our drinking water is still drawn from wells and bore holes, would seem to warrant a degree of concern on all our behalves.”
There are an estimated 17 million gas boilers in the UK, with around 1.3 million new boilers installed each year. A condensing boiler from an average household will produce approximately 800 litres of acid per year at pH 4.0.
This is probably not a problem for an odd house or two but the amount of acid condensate put down the drain is thought to be growing at a rate of in excess of half a million litres per week as more and more condensing boilers are installed. It’s conservatively thought that in two years time, we could be adding in the region of 50 million litres of acid at pH 4.0 to our drains every week. Even at a relatively low level of acidity, common sense suggests this must be having an effect on the infrastructure or water treatment process at some level, potentially threatening the biological purification processes in septic tanks and local water treatment plant, and possibly causing significant upset to the drainage infrastructure.
So what’s the answer to the problem, in the light of a lack of knowledge about the effects this large scale acidic ‘flushaway’ might be having?
This has been addressed by Salamander, part of Sentinel Performance Solutions, with the release of its ‘Condensafe ‘+’ unit.
This unique and innovative in-line unit, designed to be mounted between the boiler condensate outlet and the drain, contains a special medium that will effectively neutralise acidic waste from condensing boilers before allowing the now harmless waste to be discharged to the drains. The neutralising medium can be easily replaced every twelve months when the boiler undergoes its annual service and the spent medium can be safely disposed of in household waste.
The Salamander ‘Condensafe ‘+’ offers a sensible approach to low level acidic discharge management, it’s easy to fit, clean and maintain, fits all domestic condensing boilers, has no adverse effect on the operation of a condensing boiler and complies with all relevant standards.
