Simple yet effective - Using boiling water to treat weed

Eco Weedkiller offers new technology for weed control based on hot water. The water is

heated via electricity and then kept hot in an insulated tank. The device will keep its

warmth (more than 100 degrees Celsius) for at least eight hours after disconnecting the

power. The device does not need to be connected to the electricity network or water supply

during use making it very easy to take anywhere.

There are versions with a 300-litre and 600-litre storage tanks as well as a small Garden

version with a 25-litre water tank.

Using hot water allows great penetration into the soil, providing successful treatment of

perennial plants with more established root systems in many situations. The rule of thumb

is that 2–2.5 litres of hot water is needed per square metre in areas with 100% greenery

coverage. This means that 300 litres of water is enough for 100–150 green square metres.

The choice to use hot water to control weeds ensures considerably smaller lifecycle effects

(LCA) than the choice to use herbicides. The lifecycle effects typically associated with this method are

mostly due to the use of diesel fuel usually needed to operate this kind of device, but the Eco Weedkiller does not require the use of a diesel generator to maintain the water temperature. 

As the professional community is well aware, the use of glyphosate has been discussed

worldwide. In the summer of 2015 The International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC), a

semi-autonomous unit of World Health Organization (WHO), issued a report stating that

glyphosate is a substance that “probably causes cancer in people”.

The European Union (EU) gave the use of glyphosate an extension until the end of 2017. In

2017 the EU member states renewed the marketing authorization for another five years,

until 2022, after a tight vote. The European Parliament has given a resolution in which it

proposes to phase out the use of glyphosate by the end of 2023. 

This year, the UK government will produce it's own National Action Plan for the Sustainable use of Pestcides,

which aims to greatly reduce the use of pesticides in both Agriculture and Amenity.

Meanwhile, many countries and organizations demand a ban for the use of glyphosate, and

social pressure encourages choosing non-chemical methods to control weeds, regardless of

legislation.

The effect of hot water in weed control is based on a sudden surge of thermal energy, which

damages plant tissue. Water is a great medium in transferring heat due to its great heat

capacity of 4.18 kj/K. In comparison, the heat capacity of steam and air is 2.08 and 1.01

respectively.

Many plants have a natural mechanism to protect them from fire, but since hot water is not

a natural threat to plants, they have not developed mechanisms to protect themselves

against it. Since water enters the vegetation and root system of a plant, thermal weed

control makes it possible to kill plants, and eventually their roots as well.

The machine uses electricity to heat the water to the desired temperature and then keeps it

hot using a specially insulated tank and keeping the water under pressure. This means there

is no need to burn fuel all day to keep the water hot.

The electricity used to do the heating could be supplied from any source, including solar

energy for example; which makes it possible for the product to be extremely

environmentally friendly.

The output of the Eco Weedkiller is simply boiling water, which is very clean and safe for the

environment, and makes it safe to use in many areas where herbicides such as glyphosate

are unsuitable or simply undesirable.

Further to this you can make this solution more efficient and cost effective by following a

Weed Prevention Strategy. Find out more about Weed Prevention strategies here.

Find out more about our range of EcoWeedKiller products here.

The YouTube video for the Eco WeedKiller Pro3 and Pro10 can be found here.