What Can We Do to Stop Lime Buildup in Our Cold-Water Lines?

Install a Water Softener

• Water softeners can significantly reduce the hardness of a domestic water supply. Softeners are connected to the main water line and treat the water before it enters the home plumbing system. Water softeners remove the compounds responsible for lime scale by creating a chemical reaction that exchanges the minerals for salt compounds. Softeners require periodic maintenance and are often expensive, but they can reduce the frequency of appliance and plumbing repairs, according to North Carolina State University.

Water Softener Maintenance

• If a home equipped with a water softener is still experiencing problems with lime-scale aggregation, the softener may not be functioning correctly. Most softeners use either rock, evaporated or solar salt. Softeners are designed for a certain type of salt, and they may perform poorly if they have the wrong type. A water softener may require maintenance or replacement if it does not treat hard water even with the correct type and amount of salt. While individual components may wear out sooner, softener systems can last more than 20 year, states Lenntech.

Magnets

• Numerous magnetized and electronic cuffs are marketed as a remedy for lime-scale buildup in plumbing. There is dispute over the efficacy of these devices, but some companies claim that they work well. Magnetic water conditioning prevents minerals such as calcium from forming hardened deposits on pipes, but it does not remove them from the water, according to Ecoflow.

Filters

• There are a number of different filters that can be integrated into a home plumbing system to remove hard minerals from the water. Reverse osmosis units can filter nitrates as well as calcium and magnesium, reports North Carolina State University. Distillers soften and almost fully purify water, but they process less than 1 gallon per hour. Specialized filters, such as distillation and reverse osmosis units, are often placed only on lines that supply drinking water, such as those leading to ice makers and kitchen faucets.