A quick scan around your house can tell you whether your water supply contains hard water. It is because hard water leaves limescale behind. Limescale stains your floors and leaves deposits which are difficult to get rid of. But limescale is more than a cleaning hazard. It can expose you to adverse health risks and issues.
Are you wondering what you can do about it?
Before finding ways to remove limescale, it’s essential to understand what it is and how it can affect your health.
So, let’s jump right into it!
What is Limescale?
Limescale is a natural by-product of hard water. If you get a supply of hard water in your home, the frequent residue of a chalky white or green substance you find on your bathroom tiles, taps, and shower is the limescale. If not, you’re lucky because limescale deposits are a nasty piece of work, and it can get frustrating to get rid of them.
It happens due to the large concentration of minerals such as calcium and magnesium in hard water. When water evaporates, it leaves traces of these minerals behind, and over time it takes the form of the white or green crust you see everywhere.
Water with high mineral content (higher than 120 mg/l) falls into the hard water category. Hence, it is not recommended for consumption and other activities due to its adverse effect on hair, skin and plumbing.
Now that you understand what limescale is, let’s seek options on how to remove limescale.
How to Reduce Limescale from water?
Most of the urban homes in India get a supply of hard water.
Limestone build-up can lead to frequent damage to these appliances, reducing their lifespans. So, to cut down all these costs and access pure drinking water, it becomes imperative to look for solutions to get rid of it.
Some of these solutions are:
1. Try a Water Softener
A home water-softening system works well to remove limescale from water. The most common types of water softeners are granular and resin-based.
The resin water softener has resin (a sticky substance obtained from trees) coated with positively charged sodium ions. When the hard water runs through the resin, the concentrations of sodium replace the magnesium and calcium in the water.
It is advisable to replace this type of water softener every three months as they get clogged easily and are difficult to clean.
2. Invest in a RO Water Purifier
Another way to soften the water is to use a home RO (Reverse Osmosis) system. This system forces water through a semi-permeable membrane with tiny holes to push water and remove impurities.
Once the hard water passes through the membrane, it removes impurities such as calcium, magnesium, chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants. An RO water machine is one of the most extensive water filtration systems and removes 98% of dissolved solids, making water healthier to consume. You can use purified water in utensils, cooking, baking and other applications.
Other home water purifier types, like a UV water purifier. Home UV systems can eliminate pathogens from water but don’t remove the total dissolved solids. Hence, they are not adequate for getting rid of limescale.
3. Use DIY Home and Appliance Cleaner Solutions
Limescale dissolves in an acidic substance. You can easily find some of these acidic liquids in your home, such as lemon juice or vinegar and use them mixed with soda bicarbonate to work well on eliminating limestone deposits on fixtures or appliances.
You can keep this solution in a bottle and use it when cleaning the faucet, tiles, baths and basin as you would do regularly. However, this method won’t prevent it from limescale build-up. Over time, the chalky white limestone becomes challenging to remove if you skip the cleaning a few times.
Moreover, this method only works on a thin, fresh layer of limescale deposit. In that case, using a home water purifier or a water softener machine is the best idea.
Home RO Vs Water Softener: Do You Need Both?
The issue with using only a water softener as a home water filtration system is that it removes hardness from water by simply replacing calcium and magnesium with sodium ions. Other impurities, however, still stay in the water, making it unsafe for consumption.
While using soft water for washing and cleaning will make your life easy because of its ability to remove limescale, it is not healthy for drinking, cooking and other activities.
On the other hand, using the best RO system in addition to your water softener will provide your family with the purest drinking water possible. Hence combining a water softener for the entire water system with a RO water machine is the ideal solution.
Moreover, the water softener will help you extend the life of your home RO. The water softener will reduce the water hardness or limescale before reaching the water purifier, thus acting as a shielding barrier for the RO.
The Bottom Line
An easy solution to get limescale away is to call the plumbing service to clean the plumbing. But it is a temporary cure. Use the methods mentioned above to reduce limescale in your home water purifier in the long run.
However, for safe drinking water, you may want to go further. Once the limescale is flushed from the water supply, upgrading your water filtration system can help to prevent health risks.
Try installing these water softeners in the main water supply and install the best water purifier in India to get pure drinking water. You can find the water softener and best water purifier for home with an easy search on the web.
You can compare the online reviews and warranties of various companies to ensure you get the best value for your money!