Preventing Limescale

We all have limescale problems. You know, when the shower is shooting out in all directions, your morning cup of tea has a nice layer of scum and the washing machine grinds to a halt half way through the cycle. It seems no matter what you do to get rid of the nasty white particles, within days they are back again. Hard water has even been known to make excema and other skin conditions worse – not to mention what it might do to the rest of our bodies.

So what can be done to make hard water soft? Other than move to a different part of the country or even overseas, the only way to control this problem is to change the water at the point it enters the home. There are a few methods available to do this.

Ion exchange water softeners:

• This is plumbed into your water supply and uses salt as a way of filtering our the lime deposits. They need regular refilling and the water is not recommended for drinking once it has passed through the salt. The unit itself will cost upwards of £1000 in most cases.

Magnetic or electronic descalers:

• These work by wrapping coils of wire or magnets around the incoming water main, which pass a magnetic field through the water. This causes the calcium in the water to stay within the water and not to stick to the pipes.

If it is simply your drinking water that you are concerned about, then water filtration systems are a great option. Although all water in this country meets minimum standards, for many people the taste of hard water is unpalatable and so being able to filter the water you drink and cook with is important.

Carbon filters:

• The easiest of these is the jug type “brita” filters. The water simply filters through a cartridge containing granules of carbon. This removes impurities and makes the water better tasting. It is also possible to buy units which fit under your sink filtering the water as it comes from the cold water pipe.

Carbon Block Filters:

• The water is forced through a block of carbon which is more efficient at removing particles.

Reverse Osmosis Filters:

• This type of filter forces water at high pressure through a fine membrane filtering out particles. The water will usually sit in a reservoir until needed. This method gives very pure water.

For most of these systems, you will need to replace cartridges, carbon blocks and filters regularly. This is an ongoing cost and should be taken into account when deciding which option is best for you.