Limescale

[aph257]

Any good advise on getting rid/avoid limescale build up on ceramic tiles, in particular in shower cubical.

[enduro]

You could try this. Ecover limescale remover. Or you could get a water softener fitted to your hard water supply. You need to speak to a plumber regarding this.

[timeless john]

Cif!

[andy8758]

Installing a water softener is definitely a sound investment, and not very expensive - local plumbers merchant will sell effective ones for as little as £12 - £30. A decent plumber will be able to fit this on your incoming main by the stop**** in about 1 hour.

I find Viakal works well to remove exisiting limescale, and a cheap proprietory spray like Shower Shine helps stop build up of limescale when used each day after shower is used.

I know that there are some very effective trade solutions, but most of these cost between £15 and £25 per bottle, and imho they really are not any better thn the cheaper Viakal and Shower Shine combination (much cheaper).

[itstony]

Limescale removal requires HCL or hydrochloric acid. The strength is all that changes.
There are many available off the shelf anywhere, but it's simply diluted HCL, so if you can get it easily, dilute it at least 10/1 which will be more than you will ever need.
Any safety concerns for kids etc. better get one from the supermarket, its just diluted HCL.

[Tecnik2000]

I generally use Mr Muscle limescale remover once a month,cheaper than viakal & just as good. Also tend to use a shower cleaning spray, (spray & leave) it smells nice too & they are only cheap.I live in the south so limescale is a nightmare. I agree about the water softener but some do not deal with pumped systems because of the flowrate. Also some of what you assume is limescale is added soap deposit so rinse the area with the showerhead after use,then spray shower cleaner only takes a few seconds...

[lucius]

Andy can you give us some info on water softners at that price, ive never come across one under £250.
Lucius

[itstony]

You can buy a small electricl one that will be fitted anywhere after the mains in supply.
For what they cast and what they do, they are very, very good.
They simply mess with the magnetism and prevent limescale keepin the particles seperate.

[lucius]

Ive got them and as you say for what they cost they do help but nowhere near as good as a proper watersoftner.
Lucius

[mikethetile]

theyre not a match with a softener but work out a lot cheaper, they change the polarity on water so that it doesnt deposit mineral deposits on hard surfaces

it also descales existing pipework so can reopen healed leaks

I live in a hard water area and prefer the hardwater to soft water so use this system, I would have to have a seperate tap for drinking water as I find the softened water unpleasant

[andy8758]

Andy can you give us some info on water softners at that price, ive never come across one under £250.
Lucius

Scalemaster Platinum Scale Inhibitors

Apologies - I meant Limescale Inhibitors which are much cheaper than full water softeners - we live in Somerset where water is extremely hard and we are extremely poor (i.e. unable to shell out 100's of pounds for water softening plants). These inhibitors (costing 1/10th of price of water softener) do make a difference.

Cheers! and happy Easter to all.

[lucius]

Scalemaster Platinum Scale Inhibitors

Apologies - I meant Limescale Inhibitors which are much cheaper than full water softeners - we live in Somerset where water is extremely hard and we are extremely poor (i.e. unable to shell out 100's of pounds for water softening plants). These inhibitors (costing 1/10th of price of water softener) do make a difference.

Cheers! and happy Easter to all.

As i said i have them in my house and they do help.
Lucius

[garretridge]

i agree the best product is CIF it works!

[aph257]

Thanks All, i'm looking at an Eddy Water softener Alternative but in the mean time the combination of Cif/Mr Muscle and Shower Shine will be the way.

[Scott]

I use Cilit bang and a scrubbing brush, Aldi do a good one too called W5 limescale remover, its also very cheap!

Cillit bang is good for the cubicle and screens etc and i always recommend it to customers to keep the shower clean after a refit.

As for the inhibitors, unless its the electric one with the wire wound around the pipe work they are a waste of money.

Our water here is so hard we can chew it!

[lucius]

Do you know the names of any manufacturer of these Scottly.
Lucius

[aph257]

Hi Lucius, i've been googling and come up with these two:

Water softener Alternative

Electronic water conditioner, water treatment, water softener - Scalewatcher

[Scott]

Lucius

I use these:

Calmag | Welcome

Cheers
Scott

[solarspain]

Hi, i have just joind this forum...albeit a bit late for this post! However, we live in Murcia in SE Spain, where limescale is a MAJOR problem - the domestic water is rank!

I recently discovered a fantastic product to completely treat this problem and it definitely does what it says on the box. I added it on to our product range and am selling plenty of them as word spreads.

Just a thought for you guys...it's a UK product, maybe you could supply and fit them yourselves (you do not need to be a plumber, they just plug in) and as well as make extra money for yourselves, have a really satified customer as well!?

Once again, it works seriously well!

All the best Ronnie.

[Mouldy]

Installing a water softener is definitely a sound investment, and not very expensive - local plumbers merchant will sell effective ones for as little as £12 - £30. A decent plumber will be able to fit this on your incoming main by the stop**** in about 1 hour.

Sorry bud, this is not correct!

A decent water softner will set you back over £400 and will take a few hours to fit properly, including drilling to the outside for overflow and purge pipes.

What youve described is a scale reducer. These can be had in differnt flavours, although mainly electrolitic and magnetic. Some oare better then others and Id go for either a SESI from Salamander or a Liff product.

A water softner will eliminate lime scale, a reducer will do just this. Reduce!

ETA there is a new product to the UK which claims to do both, but it hasnt been here long enough for an apraisal:-
http://www.aquabion-uk.com/

[solarspain]

Sorry! Here's the link for the above!

Nothing in it for me, as i said in the above post, "It seriously works well" Happy customers mean more work for you!

Ronnie.

[solarspain]

Quite right and thanks for the correction! Although our clients are noticing softer water and quicker heat transfer very quickly. I'll keep my eyes on aquabion as well.

[MrNobody]

I am not a tiler but I do have a clean shower. As far as I am concerned none of those supermarket limescale products are any good for really cleaning eg the glass shower door.

If you want to clean it properly, use Hagesan Blue. Some builders merchants sell it or you can buy it online. 1 litre goes a long way. Use it diluted with an equal amount of water, wear gloves and use a little sponge with a nylon scouring pad - leave it a few minutes then scrub. If you then want to keep it clear, Hagesan do something like Rainex, but for showers (not cars) - it is like non-stick for glass - but after a few months it becomes less effective. I've got a Hydroflow electronic conditioner - how much it helps is difficult to say. You can find them on ebay.

If you really want to keep the shower clear after cleaning it, just keep a squeegee in the shower and use it on doors and walls after every shower ...

I'm afraid there is no substitute for a bit of effort.

[Gall.B]

I Use Hagesan products in the home also for the bathrooms and floors, using things like cilit bang etc destroys the tiles especialy glazed Ceramics.