Hard/Soft water

[piskieinboots]

I prefer the taste of hard water for drinking, but love soft water for not having to keep descaling stuff or having to use a filter

[Pumpkin Becki]

We have to replace our electric shower every couple of years, it gets limed up so badly that it can fire the top off the showerhead! We have one of those plugged-in magnetic water softeners which helps a bit, but not enough. Currently our shower is down to a pathetic dribble.

Interesting question about water absorbtion by plants though Wayne. I feel an experiment coming on.

[ammi]

Not all of sheffields water is soft. I live in north sheffield and my water is quite hard and it tastes awful. It kills our kettles and we have to replace them about twice a year and we have to use water softener in our washing machine and dish washer or the scale can get so bad that they seize up.
In the last 10 and a bit years that Ive lived here Ive had to have 4 new washing machines 3 new dishwashers and over 20 new kettles.
I wouldnt dare use our tap water for any sensitive plants. I try to use my waterbut as often as I can

[BFG]

I'm considering a water softener. They're cheap to run once installed and would probably pay for itself in shower, taps and kettles over the long run.

I thought the magnetic ones were useless, but I could be wrong.

[zazen999]

We have to replace our electric shower every couple of years, it gets limed up so badly that it can fire the top off the showerhead! We have one of those plugged-in magnetic water softeners which helps a bit, but not enough. Currently our shower is down to a pathetic dribble.

Interesting question about water absorbtion by plants though Wayne. I feel an experiment coming on.

I used to take the head off and soak in limescale kettle remover stuff, it's the holes that get clagged up and doing that sorts them out.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I used to take the head off and soak in limescale kettle remover stuff, it's the holes that get clagged up and doing that sorts them out.

yep, we do that too. We've even had the entire copper heater out and poured limescale remover in. It gave us a couple of months extra use, but thats all.

[BFG]

Get a water softener installed on your incoming water. £200ish I think and then just some salt every now and then, which is very cheap.

You usually leave the kitchen tap hard for drinking and everything else gets nice soft water.

You can use vinegar to descale things too. Cheaper and probably greener too I would have thought.

[zazen999]

yep, we do that too. We've even had the entire copper heater out and poured limescale remover in. It gave us a couple of months extra use, but thats all.

Well, you are in Ashford! I suppose it is to be expected....

[northepaul]

We have awfully scaly water down here too.

My old gran used boil vinegar and water in the kettle to remove limescale - you have to do it a few times, and obviously rinse it out before using it again I also dip the shower head in warm water/vinegar solution over night and it does remove quite a lot of limescale. Its also cheaper to buy a bottle of malt vinegar (about 30p) whereas proper limescale remover cost far more!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Well, you are in Ashford! I suppose it is to be expected....

LOL! Yes, its a bit of a shock going anywhere else in the country - so many suds!!

[Bren In Pots]

We've got hard water and have to soak the shower head in vinegar every couple of weeks or we get just a dribble coming out.

[TPeers]

Sutton water soften all their water so while Bromley and Croydon have some of the hardest water around - barring Ashford - we are lucky and don't have as much of a problem - or as much scum on the tea!

[Hilary B]

I grew up in the Thames Valley hard water area. I still have problems with using too much soap when in a soft water area.
We have a water softening thingy for the water going into the Combi boiler, but it is supposed to be replenished ever year or so, and doesn't get done often enough.
Not all hard water is 'boilable' (different types of limestone), but it always comes out as scum when you use soap!

[SlugLobber]

It took me ages to adjust to Southern hard water. I moved from Bolton to Dartford, so one extreme to another. My hair suffered as much as my tea did! I don't notice it much in taste, these days, but do have to descale every so often (I use white vinegar).

[allotment sue]

I have lived in Somerset for over 25 years now and have never had to descale a kettle and this is the first new one that I have had to buy in that time. Only trouble we have is that visitors forget how soft it is and use far too much shampoo/washingup liquid etc. It takes forever to get rid of the bubbles!