Wendy Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Im sure this has been done to death but what on earth can I do to stop that white stuff building up in my kettle and coffee dripulator? It has ruined/bunged up 3 coffee machines so far and wrecked the elements of 4 kettles. Im on to my fifth now. I buy bottled water only and boil it but still get that darned white scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polycarpe Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Available in Leclerc, SuperU and others, assorted products for the removal of limescale. The one we use is:Melitta DETARTRANT Multi-Usages. You can also by it specifically for "dripulators" - loved that word.As a longterm solution, you could think about installing a water filter with a decalcification module - not expensive or difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 [quote user="wen"]I buy bottled water only and boil it but still get that darned white scale.[/quote]Wen, you might want to check the calcium carbonate content of your bottled water. Some of it is worse than the tap water, so will only make the problem worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 We use full strength alcohol (spirit) clear vinegar, leave it in overnight and rinse out thoroughly in the morning, works a treat.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 My MIL had terrible trouble with this in the UK and I bought her one of the first kettles that came out with the element that was covered by a metal plate. She was so pleased with this as the build up was visible and very easy to remove and ofcourse did not touch the element at all, the kettle lasted several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 We have a Pozanie in line water filter that has a 'swan neck tap' on our sink. When we fill our kettle or get any drinking water we have lovely filtered water 'on tap' and no lime scale in the kettle. Whe we were living in Stroud, Gloucestershire, we were in a VERY hard water area and the kettle used to get choked up very quickly until we got one of these filters. They are made in the U.K. and they sent one out for us when I phoned them. Cost, not much realy, about £57 delivered...We used to get loads of bottled water before we got round to getting the filter here. Now we don't have to worry about the 'use by date' on the bottle. After all the water has been around for about a billion years so how do they know it's going to go out of date next year [8-)] ?I have nothing to do with Pozanie other than being a very satisfied customer, so if you want any info on them then either PM or e-mail me.John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 If that is what your ketle is like then just imagine what the inside of your washing machine/dishwasher/water pipes/toilet cistern mechanism (something that is always going wrong due to scale build-up) etc are like!We have installed a water softener (as we did in our last two UK houses where we had hard water) and the diffence is astounding. Some say that you shouldn't drink softened water others say the contrary. Well we do and have found no difference to taste etc. The salt that we put into the softener clearly states that it is also for consumption (AFAIK the salt only 'cleans' the stones inside the softener it doesn't actually go in the water). My kettle now never gets any scale build-up (even though it is a Brita filter kettle, before having the softener it would still go white after 3 weeks) and the amount of detergent/soap/washing powder etc needed is reduced. The life of appliciances would also be extended - another cost benefit.I would always chose to install a softener if we moved to a hardwater area.To get rid of the scale in your kettle I agree with chrispp - plain white vinegar is the best, much better and hugely cheaper than any 'special' product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted January 23, 2006 Author Share Posted January 23, 2006 Thanks for all the help. Actually I buy the bottled stuff as our water comes from our own spring and the taste is too 'minerally' for us. I have noticed that some bottled waters produce bigger build ups than others too. And the dishwasher has gone on the blink as has our original washing machine here!. Its amazing, too, to watch the locals loading up their trollies with the bottled water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 There are various product - anti-calcaire - that you can buy for dishwashers and washing machines. On the subject of water softeners many may not be aware that there is a correlation between soft water and heart disease. Calcium maybe furs up your kettle, but it doesn't fur up your arteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 When we had our renovations done, our plumber said he would not put in a water softener because of the effects on health. However, he DID put in something called a "pre-filter" which keeps all the minerals in the water from clumping up and causing scale. It has made a huge difference in everything from the kettle to the way our skin feels when we get out of the shower. Also, I no longer feel that I need to use a softening product when I do the laundry.I don't believe it was very expensive at all, and lives in the garage where it causes no trouble.R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikejac Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 We currently live in a part of North Yorkshire with some of the hardest water in the UK. It's a nightmare trying to keep surfaces clean, let alone prevent build up of scale in pipes, kettles etc., so I know the problems. We are moving shortly to France and are interested to find out what the water will be like at our new home. Does anyone have any idea as to the level of hardness of the water near Labastide Marnhac, about 10 km to the southwest of Cahors?mikejac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJB Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 [quote user="Suze"]We have installed a water softener (as we did in our last two UK houses where we had hard water) and the diffence is astounding. .[/quote]I am in N. Dordogne. Please can you tell me where do I buy a water softener, does it need a plumber to install it, cost etc.I am sorry, I don't care about my kettle or other appliances, but my hair is so dry it is like straw as the water here is so hard! My skin is also very dry. Am spending a fortune on conditioners and moisturiser and they don't make a huge amount of difference.[:(]Had no idea there was such a thing as a water softener so thank you so much for your post.Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Hi Laura,We brought ours with us having de-installed it from our last house (bought from John Lewis)! BUT, they are commonly available here, just visit any large Brico or Plomberie/Sanitaire store. They're called Adoucisseurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueyh Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Do you know which brand has the least calcium carbonate?Suey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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