Your mixer lacks pressure? Do you notice a malfunction in the hot / cold water adjustment? Do you see a whitish deposit on and around your mixer? This accumulation of signs suggests a problem related to limescale! In this article, we give you all the keys to understand and quickly descale your shower mixer.
What are the signs of a limescale mixer?
There are generally 3 major signs indicative of a limescale mixer. These signs are exactly the same whether it is a kitchen faucet, a shower mixer, or any other water supply in your home.
Sign #1: loss of pressure
When limescale deposits on your water supply, it leaves small white crystals that can block the outlet of a faucet, the inside of a small pipe, or even accumulate around a seal.
Loss of pressure is generally the first sign of limescale buildup on a water supply. It is felt immediately, whether it is for a faucet or a mixer.
Sign #2: hot / cold malfunction
It is also a sign of limescale in your mixer or faucet. When you want to increase the temperature of your water, and when your mixer is limescale, it is not uncommon to have more difficulty in obtaining the desired temperature.
Sign #3: leaks and whitish deposits
Another visible sign related to the limescale in your water, leaks and whitish deposits.
All around your mixer, faucet, or shower head, a light white layer settles on your devices. It's limescale. With too much accumulation, you may also see water leaks at your joints.
What are the causes of limescale buildup on your mixer?
The limescale that deposits on your shower mixer comes directly from the quality of your water. This obviously does not depend on you, but on the city or region where you are located.
This hard water is characterized by a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. We then speak of limescale or hard water.
Hard water does not pose an immediate danger to your devices if they are regularly cleaned and maintained.
However, if you let the limescale accumulate in your plumbing, you risk having malfunctioning devices, major water leaks, or devices that will reach the end of their life prematurely.
How to descale your mixer? 3 simple and immediate tips!
It is entirely possible to descale your shower mixer or faucet with chemical descalers, you will find all kinds of them in all major stores or online. Among them, we note that there are two main types: alkaline and acidic ones.
On our part, we will not use any chemical products, but rather natural and ecological solutions, similar to the good old grandmother's tips.
Please note, just because these solutions are natural does not mean they do not work, quite the contrary.
Tip #1: white vinegar
When you have hard water, white vinegar will be your best ally. Inexpensive, available in all major stores, it is extremely effective in temporarily fighting all forms of limescale. You can use it for almost everything:
- Run an empty washing machine with white vinegar, same for your dishwasher.
- Soak your shower head in white vinegar, it will come out like new and completely descaled.
- Do the same with your faucets and mixers (you can even disassemble them and place the cartridges / filters in vinegar)
Even on detergent, chemical and more expensive solutions, it is difficult to do as well as white vinegar!
Tip #2: baking soda
Like white vinegar, it is an inexpensive product, available almost everywhere, which can be used for many household tasks.
This slightly abrasive alkaline substance will provide a gentle and non-aggressive detergent solution.
You can also combine the actions of baking soda and white vinegar for even more results!
Last tip: lemon
Like the first two tips, lemon will be your ally in the house! Acidic, it will provide an ecological and inexpensive solution to help you descale your filters, mixers, and faucet nozzles, among others.
How to limit the appearance of limescale?
Unfortunately, if you live in a region of France where the water is hard, such as in Gironde (the water is very hard in this region), you will need to use one of these solutions (or several) to limit the appearance of limescale on your mixer, and more generally around all your water supplies.
- Buy and install a water softener in your home. It is quite expensive, potentially bulky, but it is the best solution for hard water.
- Remember to descale regularly. Every month, write on a piece of paper, or on your smartphone, with an alarm, to descale all your faucets, mixers, shower heads, etc.
- Use a water filter / distiller to limit the appearance of limescale.
You are now aware of the main tips to remove any limescale traces on your shower mixer, and on your kitchen and bathroom faucets, for example.
Remember that regular maintenance will save you many surprises, especially when it comes to limescale, which can cause long-term damage.
