Calcium Buildup

Q: I have a bit of calcium buildup at the usual spots, washing machine, faucets, etc.

A: First step would be to install a water softener. Installing a basic water filter won’t help much with dissolved solids (like calcium). A properly sized and set softener will effectively eliminate your hard water problems.

You can also try to flush the water heater out, and then turn off the water and open up the hot water valve of the shower valve and flush out the supply line.

If you do not flush (not drain) your water heater on a regular basis it will build up mineral on the bottom of tank.

How to flush your water heater

Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red (rust) and some white grains (lime or calcium carbonate).

The whole thing shouldn’t take more then a few minutes. Don’t forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. You might want to consider cleaning the screens on your aerators if you have a high mineral buildup.

If the problem still persists after you have flushed, you will have to drain the heater, remove the boiler drain and go up in the bottom of the tank with a wood or plastic rod (not metal) and try to break up the mineral and flush it out.