If you are someone that lives in a hard water area, you are probably already familiar with limescale.

WHAT IS LIMESCALE?

Limescale is a chalky off-white crust that often lurks inside your kettle and boiler and stains your surfaces. It is a deposit of calcium carbonate and a residue that is left behind by hard water. Hard water is water that contains a higher concentration of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. When that water evaporates, it leaves behind calcium carbonate deposits. Unfortunately, limescale deposits will build up on any surface that it will get in contact with, and accumulate rapidly from that point on.

WHERE DO YOU FIND LIMESCALE?

Limescale can be found in many places, from the inside of your water pipes to the inside of your boiler to any surface where hard water has evaporated.

The two most common areas where limescale can be spotted are:

The Bathrooms

• Toilet
• Taps
• Bathroom Tiles
• Sink
• Shower
• Pipes

The Kitchen

• Kettle
• Coffee machine
• Dishwashers
• Taps
• Tiles
• Pots and Pans

Limescale causes a variety of problems. Here are some of the issues that surround limescale.

• Limescale will cover taps, sinks and hard surfaces with an off-white layer that is tough to remove.
• You can end up with chalky white flakes that float in your tea and coffee, which will prompt you to change your kettle frequently.
• If there are limescale deposits inside central heating pipes, they can accumulate and restrict the flow of water or cause a blockage.
• When limescale hardens around components in your dishwasher or washing machine, they can make your appliances less energy efficient and as a result, more costly.

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT LIMESCALE?

Removing limescale can be time-consuming and costly which is why it is better to actually put in preventative measures to deter from limescale buildup. As you know, limescale build up occurs because of hard water. Here are two preventative measures against limescale:

WATER SOFTENERS

Water softeners work by bonding together with the elements that make water hard. However, water softeners need salt to function, since salt is deposited in the water used for cleaning, drinking and bathing. People who may be on salt restricted diets should keep this in mind before consuming any water softened by a water softener.

ELECTRONIC WATER DESCALER

This is an alternative to a water softener, and is sometimes known as an electronic water conditioner. This is a safe and economical way to tackle preventing limescale. If you already have a limescale build up, an electronic water descaler is an effective way to both remove and prevent it.

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