Hard or Soft.....water.

Unread post by **suespud** » 24 Jul 2014, 09:27

We might well have a " posh pad" in Windsor

but there is nothing posh about the bloody limescale....!!!!!
How do those of you who live in the south cope with it?????

We don't have it up north....

Or at least in my part of the north east..

Iv bought all the "cleaning" and "get rid of it"..products..but it comes straight back!!!
Iv descaled..kettle, washer, iron, coffee maker, dishwasher...done the loos...shower heads...sink plugs.....poured stuff down the waste disposal.
If you use the tap..the stainless steel sink gets marked immediately...got to spray the granite tops with granite polish every time..cos using a damp cloth leaves marks!!!
Flipping heck!!!
I hate the taste of the water too.
Getting used to it in coffee..but not liking it much.

Unread post by **Quizzical Bob** » 24 Jul 2014, 09:30

We have a softener but not for the kitchen sink nor for drinking. As for the medical effects it's a choice between kidney stones from calcium or heart problems from sodium.

Unread post by **GillD46** » 24 Jul 2014, 09:33

For that very reason, we opted out of stainless steel for the sink and the last three houses have chosen granite. The granite worktops are fine if wiped with a damp cloth and then buffed dry. Polish every week.

As for appliances, I use the proprietary products. I guess we just accept it.

Unread post by **sunseeker16** » 24 Jul 2014, 09:53

Install a water softener and ensure you have a 'double tap' for the kitchen, so that you can have drinking water which has been diverted through a filter to remove the salt which softens the supply for the whole house
Simples!

Unread post by **suespud** » 24 Jul 2014, 10:36

GillD46 wrote:
For that very reason, we opted out of stainless steel for the sink and the last three houses have chosen granite. The granite worktops are fine if wiped with a damp cloth and then buffed dry. Polish every week.

As for appliances, I use the proprietary products. I guess we just accept it.

Gill, you know we had a place in Caswell ( Wales for those not familiar) for a few years...this is far far worse.
I have tried buffing when damp... Still leaves a chalky film.

Unread post by **suespud** » 24 Jul 2014, 10:38

sunseeker99 wrote:
Install a water softener and ensure you have a 'double tap' for the kitchen, so that you can have drinking water which has been diverted through a filter to remove the salt which softens the supply for the whole house
Simples!

This is a rented property... Hubby will only be here for a few more months, luckily.

Unread post by **Stephen** » 24 Jul 2014, 10:40

We are having one fitted in eleven days time. Initial outlay is expensive but running cost are surprisingly low, we shall see.

http://www.twintec.com/?gclid=CNWN37TT3 ... tAodwyYAnw

http://www.twintec.com/about_us/contact_us

Unread post by **Meg 50** » 24 Jul 2014, 10:47

you learn to live with it...

the water tastes far far better then elsewhere in the country (when I was 7 ish we went to Scotland for the first time and was appalled by the nasty tasting water. When JD was at Uni in Swansea her tea tasted foul - water too soft)

Mind you, soft water uses much less detergent to make bubbles.

To deal with it you either spend a fortune on proprietary stuff, or make your own with acids like vinegar or lemon juice.

You have to be careful though, we at last managed to remove the scale from the valves of our cisterns and the whole thing fell apart cos the limescale had been holding it together!

Unread post by **Dark Knight** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:02

By English County
Bedfordshire - Hard to very hard
Berkshire - Hard to very hard
Bucks - Hard to very hard
Cambridgeshire - Hard to very hard
Cheshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Cornwall - Soft to moderately soft
Cumbria - Soft to moderately soft
Derbyshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Devon - Soft to moderately soft
Dorset - Hard to very hard
Durham - Soft to moderately soft
Essex - Hard to very hard
Gloucestershire - Hard to very hard
Greater London - Slightly to moderately hard
Hampshire - Hard to very hard
Herefordshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Hertfordshire - Hard to very hard
Kent - Hard to very hard
Lancashire - Soft to moderately soft
Leicestershire - Slightly to moderately hard
Lincolnshire - Hard to very hard
Norfolk - Hard to very hard
Northants - Slightly to moderately hard
Northumberland - Slightly to moderately hard
Nottinghamshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Oxfordshire - Hard to very hard
Rutland - Slightly to moderately hard
Shropshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Somerset - Soft to moderately soft
Staffordshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Suffolk - Hard to very hard
Surrey - Hard to very hard
Sussex - Hard to very hard
Warwickshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Wiltshire - Hard to very hard
Worcs - Slightly to moderately hard

Unread post by **Dennis The Menace** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:06

I'm with Meg, you get used to it - I've never really known anything else but hard water so, when I do occasionally find myself in soft water areas, it all tastes a bit funny to me.

We get through a few kettles, and my insides probably need descaling too, but hey it's home

And besides, there will probably be a medical study published next week suggesting limescale is good for you (followed by another six months later, suggesting it's not)

Unread post by **Stephen** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:28

Meg 50 wrote:
you learn to live with it...

the water tastes far far better then elsewhere in the country (when I was 7 ish we went to Scotland for the first time and was appalled by the nasty tasting water.

I'm not surprised Meg when thousands of litres of filtered Tennents Super Strong ends up in the local reservoir

Unread post by **Wina G** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:32

You seem to have missed one DK

Yorkshire - Hard to very hard

Although I completely disagree as ours is soft

Unread post by **Dark Knight** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:33

oops
but we all knew that one

Unread post by **Wina G** » 24 Jul 2014, 11:34

Dark Knight wrote:
oops
but we all knew that one

Unread post by **Quizzical Bob** » 24 Jul 2014, 12:05

suespud wrote:
sunseeker99 wrote:
Install a water softener and ensure you have a 'double tap' for the kitchen, so that you can have drinking water which has been diverted through a filter to remove the salt which softens the supply for the whole house
Simples!
This is a rented property... Hubby will only be here for a few more months, luckily.

Does he know about your plans to get rid of him?

Unread post by **Silver_Shiney** » 24 Jul 2014, 13:00

Dark Knight wrote:
Dorset - Hard to very hard
Gloucestershire - Hard to very hard
Somerset - Soft to moderately soft
Wiltshire - Hard to very hard

Very interesting - I wonder if there must be some sort of geological divide along county boundaries "isolating" Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. I understand that, historically, where we live used to be Somerset, but the water here is rock hard.

It probably explains why I've had two bouts of kidney stones - I never realised it could be due to hard water.

Thanks for the information

Unread post by **suespud** » 24 Jul 2014, 13:17

Quizzical Bob wrote:
suespud wrote:
sunseeker99 wrote:
Install a water softener and ensure you have a 'double tap' for the kitchen, so that you can have drinking water which has been diverted through a filter to remove the salt which softens the supply for the whole house
Simples!
This is a rented property... Hubby will only be here for a few more months, luckily.
Does he know about your plans to get rid of him?

Ohhh he knows I'm working on it...

Unread post by **david63** » 24 Jul 2014, 13:38

Whilst I would not [dare to] argue with DK's list there are a couple of points to mention:

1. The water that is used in some counties is not necessarily from that county - in fact most counties will get their water from several diffent sources.

2. The list is too general and there are "pockets" where there are major differences. For example Southport which I assume is in the "old" county of Lancashire (soft to moderately soft) has hard water.

Unread post by **Ray Scully** » 24 Jul 2014, 14:01

david63 wrote:
Whilst I would not [dare to] argue with DK's list there are a couple of points to mention:
.

The list is too general and there are "pockets" where there are major differences. For example Southport which I assume is in the "old" county of Lancashire (soft to moderately soft) has hard water.

I remember all the water boilers from the local Cafes coming in for their annual service. For some it was a hammer & chisel job to remove the worst of the scale.

Ray

Unread post by **Dark Knight** » 24 Jul 2014, 14:02

david63 wrote:
Whilst I would not [dare to] argue with DK's list there are a couple of points to mention:

1. The water that is used in some counties is not necessarily from that county - in fact most counties will get their water from several diffent sources.

2. The list is too general and there are "pockets" where there are major differences. For example Southport which I assume is in the "old" county of Lancashire (soft to moderately soft) has hard water.

Only a guide to aid the discussion , Smurfy

Unread post by **cornmillgirl** » 24 Jul 2014, 14:44

Sorry folks bit of a dim moment, which type of water causes limescale. I live in Lancashire but dont get limescale so which am I?

Unread post by **Dark Knight** » 24 Jul 2014, 15:15

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone, chalk and dolomite.

there you go CMG

Unread post by **cornmillgirl** » 24 Jul 2014, 15:32

Dark Knight wrote:
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone, chalk and dolomite.

there you go CMG

Cheers DK so I am soft then because I dont get limescale!

Unread post by **oldbluefox** » 24 Jul 2014, 15:40

CMG stores her limescale in her biceps.......................... so I am told!!!

Interestingly water from Thirlmere in Cumbria is pumped down to Manchester. United's and City's teams drink it so it must be good.

Unread post by **Frank Manning** » 24 Jul 2014, 15:45

Dark Knight wrote:
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone, chalk and dolomite.

there you go CMG

Yes as DK says, rainwater tends to be very soft, and it leaches those rock formations. Soft water tends to a lower PH, more acid. Very soft water will eventually disolve 310 stainless steel, but not 316.

We have hard water here, but using filtered water reduces limescale in our kettle significantly.

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