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9
WATER SUPPLIES
This water heater must be installed in accordance with this advice to be covered by the Rheem warranty.
The storage tank is designed to store a heat transfer liquid and must be treated to prevent corrosion.
Refer to
Treating the Storage Tank on page
24, however, there are some known water chemistries which can have
detrimental effects on the water heater and its operation and / or life expectancy.
A list of postcodes is available on the Rheem website (
www.rheem.com.au
) indicating known areas where the steel
cylinder is not covered by the Rheem warranty due to the water chemistry of the area. The list is not necessarily
exhaustive and there may be areas outside of these postcodes where the steel cylinder is not covered by the
Rheem warranty due to the water chemistry of the area.
If you are unsure of your water chemistry, you may be able to obtain information from your local water supply
authority. This water heater should only be connected to a water supply which complies with these guidelines, which
takes precedence over the list of postcodes, for the Rheem warranty to apply.
PH
pH is a measure of whether the water is alkaline or acid. In an acidic or very alkaline water supply, the water can
attack steel parts and cause them to fail.
Where the pH is less than 6.0 or greater than 9.5, the Rheem warranty does not apply to the steel cylinder. Water
with a pH less than 6.0 may be treated to raise the pH.
The water supply from a rainwater tank in a metropolitan area is likely to be corrosive due to the dissolution of
atmospheric contaminants. This may result in pH of less than 6.0. It is recommended an analysis on the water from
a rainwater tank be conducted prior to connecting this type of water supply to a water heater with a steel cylinder.
SATURATION INDEX
The saturation index
(SI) is used as a measure of the water’s corrosive or scaling properties. The saturation index
figures stated are calculated using a water temperature of 80°C.
In a corrosive water supply, the water can attack copper parts and cause them to fail.
In a scaling water supply calcium carbonate is deposited out of the water onto any hot metallic surface.
Where the saturation index exceeds +0.40, the water is very scaling. Where the saturation index exceeds +0.80,
the Rheem warranty does not apply to the steel cylinder.
Water which is scaling may be treated with a water softening device to reduce the saturation index of the water.
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS
The steel cylinder is only covered by the Rheem warranty when the total dissolved solids (TDS) content in the water
is less than 600 mg / L.
Note:
Some water analysis reports may state the conductivity of the water rather than the level of total dissolved
solids. Conductivity, measured in microsiemens per centimetre (
µ
S / cm), is directly proportional to the TDS content
of the water. TDS, in mg / L, is approximately 70% of the conductivity in
µ
S / cm.
SUMMARY OF WATER CHEMISTRY ADVICE AFFECTING WARRANTY
The water heater and its components are not suitable for certain water chemistries. Those chemistries are listed
below. If the water heater is connected at any time to a water supply with the following water chemistry, the Rheem
warranty will not cover any resultant faults on the components listed below:
Water Chemistry
Component
pH < 6.0 or > 9.5
water heater cylinder
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) > 600 mg / L water heater cylinder
Saturation Index (SI) > +0.4
water heater cylinder
temperature pressure relief valve
Saturation Index (SI) > +0.8
water heater cylinder
