BSRIA’s guide BG50/2013 ‘Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems’ will be updated later this year, following the amended sixth edition of BG29 – Precommission Cleaning of Pipework Systems.
BG29 2021 was published in February this year to include new guidance about corrosion monitoring solutions during pre-commission cleaning.
What is BG50?
BG50/2013 is BSRIA’s guide to ‘Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems’.
Considering the latest thinking in water treatment solutions, BG50 contains best practice guidance for the frequency and scope water quality monitoring after handover.
BG50 is aimed at design engineers, installing contractors, maintenance staff and facilities managers who are responsible for commercial buildings.
It is designed to provide advice about how to specify, apply and manage an appropriate water treatment programme that ensures efficiency, cleanliness and longevity of valuable plant.
What will the updated BG50 recommend?
We would like to see BG50 updated along similar lines to BG29, recommending remote corrosion monitoring as ‘best practice’ for closed system monitoring after handover and throughout a system’s life.
Since the current version of BG50 was published in 2013, there have been significant developments in remote monitoring technology for closed systems.
Hevasure’s remote corrosion monitoring system mitigates against the risk of operational issues caused by corrosion, scale and microbiological contamination in closed water systems.
It is highly effective during both the pre-commission cleaning stage – as stated in BG29/2021 – and after handover, as a one-off health check or a long-term maintenance strategy.
Hevasure launched its ground-breaking 24/7 monitoring system in 2014 and we use it to support our closed water system treatment services.
By continuously monitoring key parameters that cause corrosion in closed systems, the award-winning Hevasure system prevents the onset of corrosion, extends the life of valuable plant and improves efficiency.
What’s wrong with corrosion coupons and sampling?
The Hevasure system is far superior to traditional methods of water system monitoring:
- Detects the root cause of corrosion – Hevasure continuously monitors for dissolved oxygen (DO), the precursor to all corrosion. Traditional methods do not monitor DO.
- Allows for preventative treatment – sampling and corrosion coupons only flag up existing issues. The Hevasure system identifies problems before the damage is done, in some cases saving hundreds of thousands of pounds in unnecessary interventions.
- Real-time results – sampling provides a snapshot in time. Real-time monitoring provides cumulative data which highlights trends for analysis.
- Puts FMs back in the picture – Hevasure provides instant notification via email or SMS if water conditions change.