CALCAIRE REMEDY

[nino]

Hello.

I have found hard water deposit in my bac egrasse. This might very well  have been the cause of my drainage system  clogging up some  two years ago (it has been fuly replaced).

I now want to install some system  that will eliminate the calcaire . I have tested the tap water with a  kit mI purchased  at Homebase and it has given me a very high reading.

Is there something better than the gadgets for sale on ebay ? What would  a serious , efficient method installaion carried out by a plumber cost ?

If anyone has a system in their house I'd like to hear of their experience.

Many thanks

Danglar

[Pommier]

We moved to a hard water area in October, and within a fortnight the kettle stopped working it was so furred up. We looked at various filters in bricolages, but eventually bought a set of magnets designed to stop limescale off one of those vans that come round every month or so. It seemed a bit too easy and cheap to work - they were only €15!, but since then the kettle hasn't furred up at all (and hopefully neither has anything else!)

[cheminot]

We are in a hard water area, measured it at 300ppm. I bought a couple of the magnets and fitted them to the pipes. It did improve things but we still get a lot of calcaire deposits.

I am now installing a water softener as it is the only way I have heard that guarantees to eradicate calcaire. You have to keep them topped up with salt and the initial purchase and installation cost is quite high but I have had one before and feel they are worth the outlay.

cheminot

[Gardian]

We used to live in the Chilterns, where the water is very hard and had a Culligan water softener installed.  It was very effective, particularly as prior to its installation (and as part of a house extension), we had the hot water tank replaced.  The installers could barely move the thing out, it was so full of chalk!  I reckon the softener paid for itself over the space of 5 yrs in terms of lower water heating costs.

Same problem down here and a rough and ready quote that I got from a Culligan stand at one of those Foires was c €2000.    

[BJSLIV]

I have found hard water deposit in my bac  a graisse.

Are you sure thats what it is? I think its unlikely that you would get such a deposit in the grease trap, or that it would cause problems beyond the main tank.

[nino]

BJSLIV,

what I found were white greasy , soapy bits which Ithought were stones but disintegrated when squashed between finger and  which I  caught up  by using a food strainer.

As I said we have a w/machine.

In addition the hot water boiler had the part with the valve ( used to  to empty the baloon , I think)   replaced last summer. There was a constat humming loud noise  from the piping because the water could not get into the baloon due to the  blockage  (well so I was advised).

What else can it be down to ?

Danglar

 

[andyh4]

Danglar, "white soapy and greasy" does not equate to calcaire - which is white hard and (sometimes) brittle.

 

Regarding the magnetic gizmos.  We had one fitted in Germany.  They in no way stop build up in the kettle (experience) and even the installer said that this was the case.  They are supposed to stop build up in appliances where the water does not boil - but when we forget to add salt, the dishwasher also gets a desposit on its heating element.  Maybe in this case the water in contact with the element does get to boiling point even though the mass as a whole is at 60° or 50°C.

[BJSLIV]

Sounds like the bac a graisse doing its normal business, trapping graisse.

I heard an interesting item on the radio the other day. It was a washing repair man saying that though people think they are saving the planet by washing at lower temperatures such as 30 degrees, it was causing premature failures of some  machines. This was because gunk that would otherwise wash away at higher temperatures was building up on the inside of the machines. Consequently you should do an occasional boil wash and/or special treatment to try to shift some of the stuff.

Its this same stuff building up in your trap. Its good to see that its doing its job.

Another lovely job cleaning that out twice a year!

 

 

 

[5-element]

I live in a very hard water area too.

And the plumber (well, one plumber, the one who turns up) told me that I should never, ever, use washing powder in the washing machine as it clogs up the pipes - use liquid. Same in dishwashers I presume (I don't have one, or rather, the one I have is live [:)])

[Gyn_Paul]

Yeh, we live in a soft water area (aren't we the lucky ones!) and the contents of our bac looks like that too.

p

[cheminot]

Bought my softener from Bricomarche. Including all the neccessary pipework,valves and a prefilter it cost about 1000 euros, but it depends on what size you need. There is a very helpful guide on the Leroy Merlin website. Look under 'adoucisseurs'.

cheminot

[powerdesal]

[quote user="andyh4"]

Danglar, "white soapy and greasy" does not equate to calcaire - which is white hard and (sometimes) brittle.

 

Regarding the magnetic gizmos.  We had one fitted in Germany.  They in no way stop build up in the kettle (experience) and even the installer said that this was the case.  They are supposed to stop build up in appliances where the water does not boil - but when we forget to add salt, the dishwasher also gets a desposit on its heating element.  Maybe in this case the water in contact with the element does get to boiling point even though the mass as a whole is at 60° or 50°C.

[/quote]

Andy,

It doesn't need to get to boiling point to form calcium carbonate scale, the scaling temperature is ( I think!!!!) something like 70 odd degrees. I should really know but for the life of me I cant remember the exact temperature. Thats why desalination plants dose with anti-scalent.