Hard water in the cooling system
Discussion
Having owned the same car for 20 years, and changed the coolant every 3-4 years with good quality antifreeze and tap water (hard water area) , a recent strip down showed just how much limescale had built up. So Ill get it cleaned, but my Combination boiler uses a product called Siliphos to counteract the limescale dropping out of solution at higher temps and this works a treat as my kettle no longer scales up. Im thinking this would be a good additive to put a small amount in the header tank if I have to use hard water again. Any opinions or am I better making friends with someone in a soft water area?.
blitzracing said:
Having owned the same car for 20 years, and changed the coolant every 3-4 years with good quality antifreeze and tap water (hard water area) , a recent strip down showed just how much limescale had built up. So Ill get it cleaned, but my Combination boiler uses a product called Siliphos to counteract the limescale dropping out of solution at higher temps and this works a treat as my kettle no longer scales up. Im thinking this would be a good additive to put a small amount in the header tank if I have to use hard water again. Any opinions or am I better making friends with someone in a soft water area?.
Not a good idea. Coolant chemistry is very carefully formulated to prevent corrosion - adding something may do far more harm than good.The best thing to do is clean the system with radflush or similar, get all the limescale out, rinse the entire cooling system as thoroughly as possible and utilising the block drain(s). Then use new coolant with distilled water.
Other information... the phosphate that used to be in many coolants is there to help deal with some water hardness so as environmental regulations dictate that certain chemicals are no longer used in certain geographical regions it becomes increasingly important to stick to the manufacturers' recommendations.
Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff