Limescale Build-Up Steals Heat

(Newswire.net — December 6, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — A steamy shower in the middle of winter or a warm bubble bath after a long day are a couple of the simple pleasures enjoyed thanks to the now common water heater. It’s practically a standard appliance to be found in any decent home but the quality of water flowing through it isn’t. This heartwarming device often prematurely deteriorates in silence at the hands of hard water, which needs not be the case. 

The effects of hard water are felt across commercial and residential supplies nationwide. Hard water is heavy mineral laden water that gradually leaves limescale residue on any surface it comes in contact with, other than being unsightly it can also damage appliances. “When hard water is heated, such as in a home water heater, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form,” states the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science School. “This scale can reduce the life of equipment, raise the costs of heating the water, lower the efficiency of electric water heaters, and clog pipes.” 

Heating hard water amplifies the depreciating effects of limescale on appliances such as kettles, coffee pots and of course, water heaters. As the water heater is being operated limescale is formed at a faster rate than usual, in some cases it builds-up to the point that limescale occupies a great deal of space meant to hold water. Moreover, the home improvement website, HomeTip.com explains that, “when heated, dissolved hard water minerals recrystallize and form scale that cakes onto interior surfaces, making the water heater less efficient and more likely to fail.” 

The type of water heater owned also plays a role in how exactly limescale damages the fixture. “In electric water heaters, scale first forms on the heating element then flakes off into the tank building up on the bottom,” explains Pro Water Solutions, Inc. “When the buildup is deep enough to cover the bottom heating element, chances are good that the element will over heat and burn out.” With traditional gas water heaters the hard water minerals can eventually eat through the tank causing it leak or burst. 

Identifying hard water before there are any visual indicators of limescale build-up is crucial to maintaining an efficient and safe water heating system. The HealthyWiser™ AquaTest™ 7 Way Water Analysis Test Kit, now offered on discount for the month of December, is a good way of identifying any potential hazards in your water supply. It detects the total hardness, total alkalinity, free chlorine, bromine, pH, total chlorine and cyanuric acid. Once hard water is noted you may preemptively install a water softener within a main pipeline which stops hard water from ever even reaching a heater.