Servicing
For longevity and reliability of your Ecoboil product it is essential that the units are maintained on a regular basis. Below are some recommended guidelines for maintenance of Ecoboil's boilers and chillers. The frequency will depend on the local water conditions. Also below is a hard water areas database to help you with maintenance decisions.
Hard Water Areas by Region
Hard water is a generic term that means ground water has picked up minerals from the earth such as magnesium and chalky calcium. These minerals come from the kind of rock the water filters through before it gets to water-treatment plants and your taps. Hard water is harmless to drink, but it’s not so good for appliances like boilers & chillers. In addition, boiling water magnifies the detrimental behaviour of hard water; encouraging it to bind to pipes and fittings.
Water with high calcium and magnesium content is characterised as hard, while water with less calcium and magnesium content is soft. The sum of all calcium and magnesium compounds in water results in the total hardness, measured in milligrams calcium cabonate per litre (CaCO3, mg/L) – 1mg/L equals one part per million, or 0.01millimoles (mmol)/L.
Levels of hardness of less than 100mg/L can generally be characterised as soft (most of NZ's drinking water is below 75mg/L). Water will need treatment if its hardness is over this level. However, note that if the water is too soft, it can cause corrosion.
Locality |
Description |
Elements |
Reference |
Auckland |
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| Onehunga | Can have high water pressure. | Link | |
Bay of Plenty |
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| Rotorua | Low levels of calcium content in the water leads to corrosiveness. | Link | |
Canterbury |
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| Hurunui District | As at 14 January 2016: Amberley’s Drinking Water Hardness: 109mg/l Leithfield’s Drinking Water Hardness: 105mg/l |
Ca Fe Mn | Link |
Gisborne |
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| Gisborne | The Waingake and Waipaoa treated water measured where it enters the city is generally between 100-180mg/L depending on water demand. | Ca | Link |
Hawke's Bay |
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| Hastings | Not all water supplies have hard water in the Hastings district. However, Hastings water supply does. As also with Esk-Whirinaki, Havelock North, Waimarama, and Waipatiki. | Ca | Link |
Otago |
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| Alexander | The current Alexandra water supply source comprises six shallow boreholes on the bank of the Clutha River. There are several issues associated with the existing source: hardness, proximity to a former landfill, turbidity, occasional taste and odour problems and source protection. | Ca Mg | Link |
Whanganui |
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| Wangauni | Aramoho at 50mg/l is slightly hard; Wanganui East, Bastia Hill and Durie Hill (at 90-100mg/l) are moderately hard. The rest of the city (at 140-160mg/l) has hard water. | Ca | Link |