White vinegar is a natural solution that can be utilized to dissolve calcium buildup. Sitting overnight, you will be able to remove lime buildup from the drain while avoiding the harsh chemicals in traditional drain cleaners. Avoid putting any store-bought chemicals down the drain.
The Natural “How”
Use one part white vinegar to 3 parts water. Dismantle removable parts and put to soak in vinegar solution. Use a toothbrush or other soft bristle to scrub calcium away. For the main fixtures, soak a soft cloth with the solution, then wipe the fixture to remove any flaking.
If the scale build-up is not so severe, your plumber may opt for chemical descaling. In this method, a special chemical (usually acidic) solution is used to break up the buildup. This solution is then flushed away, taking the buildup with it.
Use in sinks, toilets, showers, drains, garbage disposals and grease traps. Fragrance free- safe for all pipes and drains! Part of the EPA's Safer Choice Program recognizing the product as a safer alternative to traditional chemicals, and contains no phosphates and is Septic Safe.
With time, baking soda and vinegar may work as a natural drain cleaner on weaker drain clogs, and the benefits of regular drain cleaning can help keep your drains free of clogs. But for tough drain clogs that need to be dissolved right away, you may want to use a stronger drain cleaner, like Liquid-Plumr.
Hard water is not kind to your plumbing system. Repeated exposure to hard water will cause limescale to build up, eventually clogging the drains and decreasing the water quality.
Hard water is rough on your plumbing. It leaves ugly buildup on fixtures and stains in sinks and tubs. It affects the inside of your plumbing system by creating buildup in the pipes that can decrease water pressure and lead to the formation of clogs.
OPEN HOT WATER TAPS AROUND THE HOUSE UNTIL YOU SMELL VINEGAR. After, close off the water taps and let it sit for at least 6 hours. During that time, the vinegar will hopefully eat away at the scale within your pipes as well as the scale at the bottom of your water heater.
What is “limescale” and how does it get into my water? Limescale is that white, chalky residue left behind by dissolved minerals (mostly calcium and magnesium) in your water. The higher the concentration of minerals in your water, the “harder” your water.
Calcium deposits in pipes are common in homes that have “hard water,” or water with a high mineral content from magnesium, calcium, or potassium. This hard water can (and typically does) build up in drains and pipes and, when left unresolved, can cause corrosion or blockages.
The acid in vinegar attacks the calcium carbonate, breaking it down. If you don't want to risk making a mess with a bag of vinegar, another option is to take a towel and soak it in a vinegar solution. Wrap the towel around your faucet or showerhead. Leave it overnight.
What does calcium buildup look like? Limescale typically presents as a hard, crusty, or flaky white substance. You may have seen it caked around the spouts on your showerhead or covering the underside of a faucet.
An enzymatic or bacterial drain cleaner works best. It's best to pour this down your drain and leave it overnight in order to dissolve organic material. Biological cleaners are slower to work, but far safer for you, your plumbing, and the local environment when compared to chemical cleaners.
Natural cleaners
Using a combination of plain vinegar and baking soda is a popular, natural solution for breaking up calcium deposits in pipes. Mix a few gallons of vinegar and a few cups of baking soda to create a homemade drain cleaner.
And once the underlying steel is exposed, hard water can corrode it quickly... then build up limescale on the pitted surfaces. It may take years for limescale buildup to cause noticeable problems, but, if you have hard water and galvanized pipe, it may have been accumulating for many years, even decades.
The slow build-up of limescale in pipework may also cause blockages in the household water system that can be costly and difficult to deal with.
Limescale is either grey or white in color and it has a chalky looking texture. Limescale build-up can impede the movement of pipes, machinery, and household appliances.
Moreover, a limescale build-up can cause permanent damage to your bathroom. It eventually eats into the chrome of your taps to the point where it can't be removed without stripping away the chrome as well. In toilets you can get an unsightly brown crust forming below the water line.
A water softener will gradually dissolve the existing scale buildup. The time it takes will depend on how much build-up your pipes have endured. Limescale that has been building up over the years can sometimes take a while to remove from your system.
Both baking soda and vinegar are highly caustic. They are, in fact, able to dissolve certain materials that one would not normally think of as being dissolvable. However, the extreme amounts of acid in vinegar, along with its acidic nature, are what cause the drain to become blocked.
Can you leave baking soda in the drain overnight? It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain.
Preventative Maintenance
Pouring bleach into the drain when the unit is not operating can leave residual bleach, which will damage the drain pan and line. Using vinegar for preventative maintenance throughout the year will keep your drain clean and clear and will not damage your line.
White vinegar is a natural solution that can be utilized to dissolve calcium buildup. Sitting overnight, you will be able to remove lime buildup from the drain while avoiding the harsh chemicals in traditional drain cleaners. Avoid putting any store-bought chemicals down the drain.