Oil on the waters

It is documented that cleaning and conditioning system water will enhance the performance of existing buildings and maintain the design efficiencies of new builds. The emphasis on water quality within today's and tomorrow's hvac systems is greater and more important than it has ever been.

Climate change and carbon usage feature high on the UK policy agenda and in accordance with burgeoning legislative standards, the built environment is moving in the direction of improved energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, it must continue to increase its efforts if the UK intends to meet the objectives of the Government's energy White Paper.

Over the last decade compliance has led to a change in market demand and the manufacturers of hvac technologies have reacted swiftly. Design changes have led to new, more efficient technologies and as a result their components have been manufactured smaller, thinner and narrower than previous models.

Water quality is a major operational issue for water based hvac systems and if prior consideration is not given to the 'quality' of the energy carrier and the maintenance of the system components, the designed benefits of the hvac systems can be significantly compromised.

My answer is always, 'Yes it is vital, and moreover it is the responsibility of the influencers and specifiers to assess what effect water treatment will have on the whole life cycle costs of a design or project'.