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Cleaning the fresh water tank/removing limescale.

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  • 10-06-2014 11:26pm
    #1
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭


    The water heater showed alot of traces of limescale in the water so I emptied the fresh water tank and then sponged out the remaining fresh water and limescale deposits from the base/sides of the fresh water tank.

    Now that the fresh water tank is completely empty I was thinking it might be not harm to run some descaler product through the piping also to clean it out.

    So how do I go about this?
    Refill the fresh water, add descaler to it and pump it through the pipes?
    What descaling products are recommended to clean fresh water tanks/reduce limescale deposits?

    Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    moodrater
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭moodrater


    Benbecul97 wrote: »
    The water heater showed alot of traces of limescale in the water so I emptied the fresh water tank and then sponged out the remaining fresh water and limescale deposits from the base/sides of the fresh water tank.

    Now that the fresh water tank is completely empty I was thinking it might be not harm to run some descaler product through the piping also to clean it out.

    So how do I go about this?
    Refill the fresh water, add descaler to it and pump it through the pipes?
    What descaling products are recommended to clean fresh water tanks/reduce limescale deposits?

    Thanks in advance.

    Vinegar is recommended for the heater, its a slow process so pumping the water through would do very little. If you fill the tank you'd need a ton of it to get a useful concentration. Can you dunk your pump in a bucket of 50/50 vinegasr - water. You'll need to let it sit in the pipes.


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    #3
    JonMac
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭JonMac


    Citric acid from the pharmacy.


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    #4
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    moodrater wrote: »
    Vinegar is recommended for the heater, its a slow process so pumping the water through would do very little. If you fill the tank you'd need a ton of it to get a useful concentration. Can you dunk your pump in a bucket of 50/50 vinegasr - water. You'll need to let it sit in the pipes.

    I'm not 100% familiar with the workings of water pumps. I need the Water Pump 101 here!

    So you mean the part of the pump submerged in the tank, dunk that in a bucket of 50/50 vinegar/water? And what quantity of this solution should be in the bucket? 1litre?

    For me there is very little wriggle room to manoeuvre that submerged pump into a bucket. Can this submergerd part be easily removed from the wiring it is attached to to do that, and then maybe reattach?

    And then what, turn on the pump to suck up the soultion and into the pipes?
    JonMac wrote: »
    Citric acid from the pharmacy.

    Ok, and do what with it Jon?
    Put citric acid in the fresh water tank and pump it through the hot and cold water taps?
    What quantities of citric acid are needed for an 80l fresh water tank?


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    #5
    JonMac
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭JonMac


    Truma sell it for a lot more than the pharmacy. Just google for their instructions.
    Your boiler isn't Truma is it.. Should be comparable:


    Enjoy your water with the safe and easy-to-use Truma AquaStar.

    Truma AquaStar 1 - Descaler

    AquaStar 1 is very effective in removing lime scale from your drinking water system, along with the bacteria present in the lime scale
    The powder rids the water completely of the otherwise unpleasant odour and taste
    Thanks to its gentle action on metals and seals, AquaStar 1 is particularly well suited to recreational vehicles
    AquaStar 1 should be used regularly twice a year
    Product coverage: 500 g powder (citric acid) for up to 50 litres tank volume


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    #6
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    JonMac wrote: »
    Truma sell it for a lot more than the pharmacy. Just google for their instructions.
    Your boiler isn't Truma is it.. Should be comparable:

    Thanks Jon!
    No, my boiler is a Malaga 4 Water Heater.

    So how does Truma AquaStar 1 work?
    - For a 50l tank add the 500 g powder (citric acid) to 50l of fresh water tank
    - leave for an hour
    - flush the entire 50l through the cold/hot water taps.
    - to flush through the hot water taps I guess you need to switch on the water heater for 30mins or so.

    Is that correct?
    I presume AquaStar 1 should only be used with Truma boilers?


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    #7
    JonMac
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭JonMac


    Truma boiler is stainless steel, Milton etc should not be used with ss. I filled system (100l) with 2 x 500g, ran some out through all taps, turned on boiler and left overnight. Ran most of it out through hot taps. Some awful looking grot kept blocking the small holes, wiped, ran,wiped etc.


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    #8
    Benbecul97
    Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    JonMac wrote: »
    Truma boiler is stainless steel, Milton etc should not be used with ss. I filled system (100l) with 2 x 500g, ran some out through all taps, turned on boiler and left overnight. Ran most of it out through hot taps. Some awful looking grot kept blocking the small holes, wiped, ran,wiped etc.

    Thanks Jon! Appreciate the help.

    grot kept blocking the small holes - what small holes do you mean? In the water heater?


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    #9
    m8
    Registered Users Posts: 905 ✭✭✭m8


    Hi can someone please help with a few questions please as I need to do something with my tank as the water has a tang off it and we no longer use it for the cupa tea.

    How should citric acid be used and will it do any harm to metail or silicone or anything else?

    Should it be left in the tank and pipes for a few hours?

    Can it be added to the drinking water diluted?

    What about the heating system and pump?

    What is the best way to use and what strenght show be used also?

    Thanks


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    #10
    JonMac
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭JonMac


    Small holes outlet hole of tap. Citric acid is pretty safe; try googling.


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