A Plumber Guide To Removing Limescale In Hard Water Areas | Atlanta, GA
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If you live in an area with hard water, you’ll know how annoying it can be to find white flakes floating in your coffee in the morning. Limescale forms when the water is hard. It can be dealt with either by installing a water softener or keeping or regularly cleaning household appliances that use water.
Limescale can build up on the insides of appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and coffee makers. It can also create a whitish crust around your sink and faucets. If you live in Atlanta, GA, or the surrounding area and are considering installing a water softener in your home, or are looking for a plumber, contact Peach Plumbing and Drain. This article will look at how limescale forms and what you can do about it.
How Is Limescale Formed?
Limescale produces a hard white crust that, if left unchecked, can cause build up around your faucets and the fixtures and appliances in your kitchen and bathroom. Limescale is a sediment in the water, which can cause problems with your plumbing fixtures and plumbing systems if left to build up over time.
Water can be described as either hard or soft, depending on the minerals it contains. Hard water may contain deposits of calcium, magnesium, and potassium in higher concentrations. Limescale is made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, which are left as deposits after the water has evaporated.
Water Hardness
One of the most common questions homeowners ask their plumber is whether their water is hard or soft. The hardness of water is determined by the density of the calcium and magnesium that’s present. There are two types of water hardness. Water is considered either temporarily hard or permanently.
Temporary Hardness
When water becomes temporarily hard, it is caused by deposits of calcium in the water. These can usually be removed by boiling the water. This will cause the calcium to disintegrate and form carbon dioxide and insoluble calcium. The insoluble calcium carbonate will then form a layer of limescale inside your appliances, hot water pipes, and boiler.
As groundwater runs through the soil, it picks up minerals, which will make it through the treatment plant and into your home. If you usually have soft water in your area, the calcium present in the water is likely to be short-lasting. It won’t have a significant effect on your appliances, plumbing fixture, or pipes.
Permanent Hardness
In some areas, the water is permanently hard due to the mineral deposits present. This is also known as non-carbonate hardness and is created by dissolved calcium sulfate that can’t be removed from the water. You won’t be able to remove calcium sulfate by boiling the water. If you live in an area where there is permanent hardness, your plumbing fixtures will be more affected. You’ll need a plumber for regular maintenance to keep them in good working order.
When limescale is present in your coffee maker, for example, more limescale will build up as it easily sticks to the existing limescale. Regular cleaning will stop large encrustations from building up.
How to Remove Limescale Build up
Some effective home remedies can help you fight limescale. If you have a kettle or coffee makers that are affected by limescale, try adding some vinegar or lemon juice to the appliance while running. This will help clean away limescale. You can then rinse your device thoroughly to get rid of the taste and the dissolved limescale.
You can remove limescale deposits from your glassware and cookware using lemon juice or vinegar. Soak any tarnished items overnight and then rinse well to bring back the shine. You can also clean saucepans in the same way.
Suppose you’ve noticed that there’s limescale build up inside your washing machine or dishwasher. In that case, you may like to use a limescale removal detergent or for a more environmentally friendly solution, use lemon juice. Run the machine on a regular cycle to clean it.
Sinks and faucets can be cleaned using a mixture of soda bicarbonate and lemon juice. Make the mixture into a paste mixture, which will be abrasive and great for cleaning off limescale. You can use a solution of vinegar and baking soda to clean your drains. Put the solution into your drains and leave to sit for between three and four hours.
How to Prevent Limescale Build up
As you can see, keeping your appliances and plumbing fixtures clean and limescale free can be a bit of extra work. Many homeowners like to take preventative measures to stop limescale from building up in the first place. A professional can give you advice.
You could only use purified water in your kettle or coffee maker by treating it, first using a water filter jug. These types of jugs use replaceable cartridges to change the constitution of your water.
If you’re looking to take more severe preventative measures to eliminate limescale and stop them from affecting your whole plumbing system. You may like to invest in a water filter or water softener, which can be fitted to your water line by a plumber to treat the water to treat the water coming into your home.
There are many water softening, filtering, or conditioning methods available, and these generally work well. A plumber will be able to recommend the best system for your home. One such system uses a chemical process that reduces limescale by increasing the sodium in the water, thus replacing the calcium. This will make the water softer, but it’s not recommended that you drink the water.
You may prefer to have a water conditioning unit fitted to your pipes. Many plumbers recommend water conditioning as these systems will treat the water using a magnetic or a radio field device and mean that it is drinkable. Both of these systems will filter and purify the water and successfully prevent limescale build up in your pipes.
Contact Peach Plumbing and Drain, Plumber
If you live in Atlanta, GA, or the surrounding area and are considering installing a water softener or filter system or looking for a plumber, contact Peach Plumbing + Drain. The company can deal with all types of plumbing issues and can also provide a 24/7 emergency plumber. Call a professional at 678-995-5082!