How to Remove Limescale and Prevent It from Coming Back

Limescale builds up when regular cleaning and maintenance are not carried out. It builds up in pipes, showerheads, and heating elements, forcing that appliance to work harder than it needs to.  

When this builds up, it becomes very hard to remove and can lead to that area of plumbing failing, which can result in costly repairs. With regular cleaning and maintenance, you can prevent the build-up from happening quickly and remove limescale as the cause of a plumbing failure. 

People living in hard water areas are at a much higher risk of limescale building up, so precautions and measures to prevent or remove it fast are desirable. 

What is Limescale?

Calcium Carbonate — CaCO3 is the scientific name for Lime Scale. Essentially, it is a hard, chalky substance from too much calcium being present in the water, combined with magnesium and then heated to temperatures above 35°C. 

The hotter the water, the faster the build-up will occur. As more chemical reactions occur, limescale forms in these hot areas. Shower heads, taps, and heating elements are typically where the limescale is seen, or at least first noticed. However, you can also see evidence of it in other places. 

That white, chalky residue on the glass shower panel is limescale, for instance. 

Hard-water areas are more likely to experience limescale as the water contains a much higher percentage of mineral deposits, which include magnesium and calcium carbonate. 

Due to the nature of limescale, it is exceedingly hard to remove, so prevention is the key to avoiding costly repairs. Upgrading things like heaters and installing softener systems will help to reduce the amount of limescale in your plumbing and save you money in the long run. 

If you notice that there is already limescale forming, it’s still not too late. There are ways you can reduce if not clean away the film and early signs of limescale. From water and vinegar mixes to borax and specialty cleaning products. These can all help to reduce and prevent the build-up, but if there is too much, then calling your local plumber is the only option left. 

Limescale Can Be Removed With Everyday Products

If you have vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, Vaseline, and even toothpaste, then you are set to remove limescale from your home. 

Cleaning and removing limescale from household appliances and plumbing fixtures can be accomplished easily without the additional expense of specific cleaning agents and products found in the grocery store. They are also cheaper and readily on hand. 

The calcium carbonate component in limescale is particularly susceptible to acid bases, so the acetic acid in white vinegar for example causes it to break down and disintegrate, allowing it to be wiped away with ease. 

The acid in lemons has the same effect but smells fresher and nicer than vinegar. 

Baking soda is abrasive, so combined with vinegar, it causes a chemical reaction in which the soda becomes highly agitated and easily removes the limescale from the surface it’s stuck to. 

The fluoride in toothpaste also reacts with the limescale, causing it to lift and break away. There is a reason why toothpaste is becoming more and more versatile, and a great cleaning hack for mirrors, and faucets. 

These products that we already have on our shelves or in the refrigerator can save time and money and remove the limescale before it builds up too much on the surfaces we can see. 

Use Borax to Clean Limescale in Toilets

When limescale forms on the inside of the toilet, it is so hard to clean that a little more elbow grease will be needed besides vinegar or lemon. 

A borax-vinegar mixture should be used, allow it to sit in the toilet before you commence scrubbing. Avoid using anything other than the toilet brush to prevent damage to the bowl or cistern which would need to be replaced or repaired. 

Using this combination on a regular basis will help to prevent limescale from re-forming in long rum, and make the toilet easier to clean. 

Cleaning Limescale in Pipes

A major problem occurs when limescale forms on the internal parts of pipes that you can not see. 

This is caused when the hard water is heated inside pipes, and it starts to vaporize, leaving a mineral residue that turns to limescale. Limescale grows quickly and when it grows inside pipes it will block the flow of water causing a back-up or total blockage.

There are chemical cleaning agents that you can use on a regular basis to help prevent the build-up of limescale, but you can also continue to use the products at home. These are more eco-friendly and less likely to damage the pipes at the same time. 

Flushing vinegar, lemon juice, or a vinegar-baking soda mix down the toilet or sink drains, letting the mixture soak, and then flushing it with water will help to reduce the build-up from happening fast in the pipes. To be effective, this would need to be done daily, and done to every sink, toilet, and drain in the home. 

Chemical agents that you can purchase as designed to allow for regular cleaning on a more flexible schedule. They don’t need to be used daily, but at least weekly or monthly is recommended. 

Drain Your Heater to Prevent Limescale

Limescale occurs when minerals in hard water are heated. Temperatures above 35oC start the chemical reaction and limescale begins to form. 

Heating elements such as the ones found in your water heater are prime suspects when it comes to the development of this chalky hard substance. Draining your water tanks and having them cleaned professionally on a regular basis will help to reduce the build-up and keep your heater working the way it was intended. 

Newer homes may have tankless heating systems that heat the water in the home in a more efficient way, this could be something you can consider if you have an older home and an older heater. 

Limescale in Industry

Limescale deposits are often discovered in industrial facilities, which often impede the efficiency of daily operations and can damage infrastructure. Limescale in factories, plants, warehouses, etc., increases the amount of energy needed to operate machinery. 

This slows down production and affects the bottom line. Also, a company’s electricity bill is suddenly twice as high as it was last month. If descaling is not applied as soon as possible, this becomes a costly maintenance solution.

How to Remove and Prevent Limescale

Removing limescale after it has formed can be challenging. With home products and commercial chemical agents, it can be done, just bear in mind that there are a lot of places where it can build up. 

Faucets, shower heads, mirrors, toilets, washing machines, and even your coffee pot and kettle can fall victim to the chalky buildup. Prevention is better and the key to the longevity of your plumbing. 

Prevention can come in the following guises:

• Water Softeners: Limescale is more common in hard water areas due to the abundance of mineral deposits. The “softer” the water, the less minerals are found within. Using Ion Technology, the calcium and magnesium deposits are exchanged with sodium (salt) instead. 

• Filters: Adding filters to water inlets or taps can reduce the amount of minerals that enter things like washing machines and showers. These however do require regular maintenance as they will fill up very quickly, and therefore reduce the water flow and pressure. 

• Hot water flushes: After cleaning your kitchen sink, or the laundry has finished for the day, flush the pipes with hot water to rinse away any debris left behind. Adding a vinegar mix to this will further help to prevent limescale build-up. 

• Regular Plumbing maintenance: Your local plumber offers services that are designed to keep your water flowing. With a regular maintenance schedule, your water tanks, softener systems, and more, can be kept in good working order. 

 

Install A Water Softener

Ion-treated water softener units are not expensive and they are very effective in removing excess mineral deposits before water begins to flow throughout the entire plumbing system. 

These systems work by removing the calcium and magnesium deposits in the hard water and replacing them with sodium (salt) instead. Some systems will require you to add salt to keep them running, and this is part of the routine maintenance that they require. 

Easy to install, water softeners easily attach to most plumbing systems. You can do this over a weekend, or call the experts to make sure that you are confident in the proper installation. 

Scale It Down

Limescale is a common hazard of plumbing in hard water areas. As a homeowner, there are steps you can take to reduce the potential buildup that won’t break the bank. 

From vinegar and baking soda mixes to the installation of treatment systems, you can win the war against this hard, chalky substance, and keep it at bay. If you are unsure about the water condition in the area in which you live, reach out to your local plumber and have them advise you, and even discuss the options available and any rebates that might apply to reduce your limescale production. 

Plumbing issues happen at any time and you need a plumber immediately. Call Brothers Plumbing today at (800) 742-0018 or contact us here.