Limescale is one of the most annoying and destructive byproducts of having hard water at home. The white and chalky substance is not only ugly when it builds up on your plumbing fixtures, but it can also seriously impair the performance of any appliance that uses hot water, such as your water heater, dishwasher and coffee maker. Today we’re going to talk about what limescale is and how it forms so that you can understand why installing a water softener is the best way to eliminate it!
What is limescale?
Limescale is a white crusty substance that is made up of concentrated hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium. When your home has hard water, limescale can show up anywhere that your water comes into contact with. The substance is notoriously hard to remove, which is why homeowners often complain about its negative impacts on the appearance of their kitchens and bathrooms.
Some of the most common places that limescale shows up include:
- Faucets
- Bathroom and kitchen tiles
- Sinks
- Toilet bowls
- Bathtubs
- Showerheads
- Coffee pots
- Tea kettles
- Pots, pans, glasses, silverware and other dishes
How does limescale form?
When hard water enters your home, the hardness minerals that it contains are mostly dissolved. That’s why if you are just looking at a glass of hard water, you likely won’t be able to notice that the water is hard.
When you heat up or cool down hard water, the energy transfer that takes place allows the minerals inside to harden and “drop out” of the water. Water is constantly being heated and cooled in your home, so it’s easy to see why limescale can form almost anywhere. As hardness minerals are released from water, they collect and concentrate together in order to form the substance that we know as limescale.
In short, limescale is formed when hard water leaves traces of minerals behind as it changes temperatures and travels through your home.
How does a water softener eliminate limescale?
The whole purpose of a water softener is to remove hardness minerals from your water before it travels through your home’s pipes. Since limescale is made up entirely of hardness minerals, the substance will not form on your home’s surfaces if those minerals are not present. That’s why installing a water softener is the number one way to eliminate limescale from your home.
If you have any questions about how limescale forms, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in North and South Carolina. We provide service all over the Carolinas, including towns like Davidson, Mooresville and Matthews, NC.
