Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems (Superseded) (BG 50/2013)

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This guide has been superseded by BG 50/2021 Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems.

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This guide has been superseded by BG 50/2021 Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems. It partially replaced AG 2/93 Water Treatment for Building Services Systems with respect to closed system applications.

This guide provides an introduction to current theory and practice of water treatment in closed building systems. It is intended for use by design engineers, installing contractors and the maintenance staff responsible for looking after the completed systems. In particular it will help facilities managers and others choose the most appropriate water treatment for their systems.

The treatment of water in modern closed heating and cooling systems is essential for the avoidance of microbiological fouling (biofouling), corrosion and scale. These problems can result in energy wastage, poor system performance and the need for early replacement of plant and components. Many facilities managers have minimal understanding of how water treatment works, what it is intended to achieve and the consequences of ineffective water treatment can sometimes be disastrous.

The objectives of a water treatment programme are to maintain the system efficiency and cleanliness and prolong system life. The guide explains how to achieve this through:

  • system design
  • installation, testing and pre-commission cleaning
  • application of a correct and appropriate water treatment programme
  • effective management of the programme

The technical content of the publication has been compiled by a steering group comprising of BSRIA, the British Association for Chemical Specialities, the Water Management Society, the Commissioning Specialists Association and the United Kingdom Water Treatment Association.

The guidance is consistent with BG 29/2012 Pre-Commission Cleaning of Pipework Systems, BS 8552:2012 Sampling and monitoring of water from building services closed systems. Code of practice and the European Biocidal products Regulation (528/2012, commonly known as BPR).

Product details

  • Published: October 2013
  • Publisher: BSRIA
  • Author: Edited by Reginald Brown
  • ISBN-13: 9780860227243

Common customer questions & answers

QQuestion Which edition of BSRIA’s Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems guide should I be using?
AAnswer The current edition of BSRIA’s Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems guide is BG 50/2021. It was revised in partnership with industry bodies with input from a steering group, members of which are listed in the guide. It supersedes all previous editions of the guide. It is BSRIA’s intention that, in normal circumstances, BG 50/2021 should be used in preference to the superseded guide, BG 50/2013. The superseded edition is still available as it provides useful reference information for older projects. Users of BG 50/2021 should be aware that it is a guide, not a regulation. It is for individual project teams to decide whether to follow the guidance, and this should be made clear in project documentation.