How to Descale a Kettle... and Your Whole Plumbing System
Most of us know to descale a kettle every so often, but limescale builds up throughout your entire plumbing and heating system in Swindon's moderately hard water area, not just in visible appliances.
Descaling a kettle (the quick version)
Fill with equal parts water and white vinegar (or a shop-bought descaler), leave for around an hour, then boil and rinse thoroughly several times before using again for drinks.
Where else limescale builds up
- ✓ Inside your boiler's heat exchanger, reducing efficiency over time
- ✓ Around showerheads and tap aerators, restricting flow
- ✓ Inside pipework, gradually narrowing the internal diameter
- ✓ On immersion heater elements in hot water cylinders
What actually helps long-term
Removable fittings like showerheads and tap aerators can be descaled the same way as a kettle. For the wider system, a scale reducer fitted at your incoming water supply reduces the rate at which new limescale forms throughout the property, and periodic boiler servicing catches scale-related efficiency loss before it causes a breakdown.
If your boiler seems less efficient than it used to be, our servicing team can check for scale-related issues.
Need help now?
Our Swindon plumbing team is available 24/7.