HOW TO REMOVE CALCIUM BUILDUP IN PIPES & DRAINS

10 Apr HOW TO REMOVE CALCIUM BUILDUP IN PIPES & DRAINS

Are you experiencing low flow or water pressure issues in your home?

Have you checked for mineral buildup in your pipes? Mineral buildup, commonly known as limescale or calcium buildup, can be the culprit behind low flow and pressure problems. But don’t worry, there are solutions to this problem, and you don’t always need to call a professional plumber to fix it.

At Wahl Family Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, we want to help you restore your kitchen sink or shower drain by providing you with an outline of ways to remove calcium buildup in your pipes.

The Best Solution: Vinegar Overall, vinegar is the best solution to mineral buildup. White vinegar is a natural solution that can dissolve calcium buildup, making it the perfect DIY solution to remove blockages in your drain. An overnight soak in vinegar could be the answer to your low flow problems. Here’s how to do it:

What You’ll Need:

• Pot of Water
• Cleaning Rag
• ½ Cup Baking Soda
• ½ Cup Vinegar
• Sponge

Steps:

1. Boil a pot of water
2. Pour a ½ cup of vinegar and a ½ cup of baking soda into the drain
3. Put a cleaning rag over the top of the drain to cover it
4. Wait 5 minutes or so while the mixture eats away at the buildup
5. Remove the rag and pour boiling water into the drain
6. Put some vinegar on the sponge and wipe down the drain fixture

This process can be used on sink or shower drains. Sitting overnight, you will be able to remove lime buildup from the drain while avoiding the harsh chemicals in traditional drain cleaners. It’s important to avoid putting any store-bought chemicals down the drain as they can cause more harm than good.

Soak your shower dead cleaning the shower head in your bathroom is a simple DIY project that can also be done using vinegar. Follow these simple steps to dissolve the calcium buildup on your shower head:

What You’ll Need:

• Pipe Wrench
• Pliers
• Rags
• Vinegar
• Plastic Bag or Tupperware Container

Steps:

1. To protect the finish of your fixture, wrap the shower head with a rag before using the pipe wrench and pliers.
2. Unscrew the shower head with a pipe wrench and pliers.
3. Soak the shower head in a vinegar bath (you can use a Tupperware container filled with vinegar for this).
4. Soak it overnight.
5. Rinse in tap water.
6. Screw back on.

Another Way: If you don’t have a pipe wrench or pliers, you can still clean your shower head. Try putting vinegar in a plastic bag. Then tie it around your shower head, keeping the shower head fully submerged in the vinegar overnight.

Water softener equipment is the most effective and long-term solution to hard water. This will prevent mineral buildup over time and make your water more comfortable for showering and cleaning. There is no need to clean anything if your water is already soft. Talk to a professional plumber about water softening solutions. Our certified technicians can install a water softener in your living space for your health and safety.

With that said, vinegar is the best solution to mineral buildup. Cleaning certain fixtures in your home is a do-it-yourself (DIY) afternoon project with a big payoff. However, things can become more complicated depending on the extent of the calcium buildup and its location. Try these at-home solutions, and if they do not improve your situation, call a professional plumber to fix your drain. At Wahl Family Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, our expert technicians are here for you. Contact us for all your plumbing needs!