Water is the “life-blood” of hydronic systems. Its chemical characteristics can make the difference between a system that lasts for decades versus one that develops expensive corrosion issues within months of commissioning.
In past columns, I’ve stressed the benefits of establishing and maintaining good water quality in hydronic heating and cooling systems. Part of those discussions focused on removing dissolved ions created by calcium and magnesium salts, which are commonly found in groundwater. The resulting “demineralized” water would — ideally — have a total dissolved solids (TDS) reading between 10 and 30 parts per million (PPM).