Removing And Preventing Limescale
Plumbing is hardy and long-lasting, but it can’t last forever. As plumbing ages, a number of things can happen to it to make it look older than it is. Sure, plumbing works hard on a daily basis, but some faucets never show while others get a white or green chalky coating on it. This limescale is a mineral-rich deposit that looks bad and also wreaks havoc on pipes and fixtures from the inside out. You will want to not only remove it, but also prevent it. The professionals at Pete Fer & Son, your local plumbing company, have advice and information for you.
Limescale Causes
Limescale is something you see in your house and it is a natural byproduct of clean water with a high concentration of minerals like iron, magnesium, and calcium. This type of water is often known as hard water. Hard water is safe to wash with and to drink, but you may not want it for a number of reasons. The mineral deposits, for one, give the water an unpleasant taste and it makes soap harder to lather and rinse away. Your skin might feel dry and itchy after a shower and your clothes can get dingy and scratches as well. Dishes may also have water spots. All of that happens in addition to the buildup you see on your faucets, showerheads, and pipe joints. If you leave the buildup alone, you may even get some stubborn clogs as a result.
Fixing The Issue
The mineral content in this buildup makes it resilient and hard to clean. You could take a wet rag and scrub on it, but it will take a long time to chip it all away. The best way to weaken and dissolve its is with acidic solution such as vinegar. You can remove faucets, fixtures, and showerheads and soak them in vinegar for an hour. When you pull them back out, the limescale will flake off. Scrub the rest with an old toothbrush and you will have dissolved limescale, inside and out, on that device. When you can’t remove fixtures, get creative by wrapping a plastic bag around the faucet filled with vinegar. If the vinegar doesn’t do the job, you could get a chemical cleaning solution formulated to take care of rust, lime, and calcium. These solutions aren’t as gentle, but they can help with tough fixtures that vinegar doesn’t eradicate.
Prevention
Once you get the limescale removed, you may not want to have to go through the process again. Your plumbing company recommends a water softening system in order to mix sodium-based solutions into your water supply to counteract the effect of the minerals. It results in good things for your pipes, appliances, and even your skin and clothing. If you’d like to have a plumbing company take a look at your water system, Pete Fer & Son is always willing to help you out. We’ll offer our professional advice regarding your limescale issues.
