Bottled water that doesn't have lime in it

lukin

I use a mains water supply at home and there is lime in the water. I have a water softener that gets that out of it but it is not working at moment. I am buying bottled water from supermarkets at the moment until it gest fixed but every one I have bought so far has lime in it too (ALDI, LIDL and SuperValu). Is there any bottled water available for purchase that isn't riddled with lime? It would have to be available in 5 litre containers.

Thanks

L1011

Pretty much all bottled water except River Rock is mineral water and will have lime (calcium carbonate) in it; usually lots.

River Rock is bottled Belfast tap water, and has calcium carbonate in it as Belfast has hard water.

lukin

It's an outrage that they expect people to use that disgusting water. When I boil the kettle with it the inside of it is saturated with limescale after only two or three boils! When you make a cup of tea with it you can see the lime floating on the top of it like an oil spill in the sea. It's disgusting.

L1011

Virtually nobody likes the taste of soft water; so it wouldn't sell.

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122415447#Comment_122415447

What hard water looks and tastes like

• Hard water looks and smells the same as soft water.
• Its high mineral content gives it a better taste than soft water and can offer more health benefits.

Why we don't soften hard water

• There are no health risks involved in drinking and using hard water
• Softening water removes healthy minerals from hard water
• The law doesn't require us to remove hardness from drinking water
• Chemically softened water may not be suitable for everyone to drink, such as infants or at-risk groups.
• Hard water can coat the inside of lead pipes or fittings, preventing lead from getting into your drinking water.

https://www.water.ie/help/water-quality/hard-water#

Xterminator

water filters might help?

BRITA water filters are specifically designed to filter water to help reduce hardness while leaving in the important minerals that are healthy for you. This is the work of the Ion Exchange Pearls, that bind metal cations like lead and copper. BRITA filters do not filter out all calcium or magnesium

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122418130#Comment_122418130

I am using one but it is not removing the lime, they are not designed to do that anyway.

I don't know how anyone could say having limescale in water is no big deal. Take a look inside a kettle that is being boiled with limescale water; the sides inside are caked with it and bits are coming off and floating in the water. And that's normal?

It corrodes the inside of the kettle and the tea tastes horrible from it.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419744#Comment_122419744

The vast, vast majority of people prefer the taste of hard water (and things made with hard water, e.g. many beers have the water artificially hardened if the brewery has a soft supply).

If you don't, you are an incredibly niche market that nobody is going to serve.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419744#Comment_122419744

Bottled water will not cause limescale build ups anywhere close to the rate you get from tap water in a hard water area.

Replace your kettle and use bottled water, you'll be fine

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419744#Comment_122419744

It doesnt corrode the kettle. The minerals just get left behind after boiling. Any water that has been naturally filtered through bedrock will absorb calcium carbonate and will be "hard". As mentioned by others "Hard" water tastes better and provides health benefits. And for people who may not get sufficient minerals from their diet or are at risk of mineral deficiencies, drinking "soft" water can result in increased risk of negative health risks associated with mineral deficiencies.

I suspect the reason the tea tastes horrible is because you either dont clean out the kettle frequently and / or dont refill the kettle with fresh water.

Former Former Former

limescale is calcium carbonate. Not only is it not harmful, it’s essential for human existence.

The money and energy required to remove it from the public water supply would be astronomical, and utterly pointless.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419762#Comment_122419762

I am using bottled water now and after three or four boils the kettle is caked with limescale.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419792#Comment_122419792

The tea tastes notably different with the water softener not working to when it was working. I clean the kettle regularly and empty it out regularly.

Why are people buying water softeners so if hard water is so perfect? I'd notice the difference between tea made with hard or soft water straight away.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419865#Comment_122419865

Most people don't put their kitchen tap on the softener, due to the poor taste of softened water. It is not advised to drink artificially softened water in the first place.

Most people who get them do it to reduce limescale build up in water heating/storage appliances, dishwashers and washing machines.

You are the person with the extremely odd tastebuds here, not the bulk of the population!

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419865#Comment_122419865

People use water softener to protect the long term life of appliance, pipes and heating systems. I have it for that very reason. But I wouldn't drink softened water if you paid me.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419865#Comment_122419865

that’s purely a personal preference though. That doesn’t mean there’s anything “wrong” with tap water

Mena Mitty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419865#Comment_122419865

It may not be for the tea people put in water softener systems.

Limescale buildup on the coil and immersion rod in the copper cylinder and pipes cuts down the efficiency of the system. Electric shower units also need replacing more frequently than non limescale areas. I'm living in North Offaly an area riddled with limescale.

Flower vases if not cleaned and scrubbed after use will have a film of limecale after 2 or 3 weeks of not fully cleaning.

lukin

OK if people are happy to drink water from a kettle that looks like the hull of the Titanic that's up to them.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419988#Comment_122419988

The thing you seem to be missing is that when you boil hard water the lime is left behind in your kettle.

Cuddlesworth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419988#Comment_122419988

You might want to consider therapy for the food/taste aversions you have picked up.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419988#Comment_122419988

get four or five lemons, cut them in half, put them in the kettle and boil it a couple of times, the limescale will lift right off

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419865#Comment_122419865

Fir impacts it can have on shower heads, washing machines, dishwashers. Hard water is best fro drinking though

coylemj

OP, have you considered moving to an area with less lime in the water supply?

For example, the bulk of the supply to the county of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is soft(er) water. To the extent that the residents do not need to use salt in their dishwashers.

It's down to geography and geology - the determining factor is which reservoir or river supplies the treatment facility that pumps water to your house.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122420074#Comment_122420074

I prefer lime flavour to lemon flavour.

lukin

I wouldn't consider moving to a different area because of water. I can't anyway. The engineer came and fixed the water softener yesterday. Although I notice there is still a bit of lime in the kettle. I am going to get a new Brita filter today, I got filters for it in LIDL this morning.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419762#Comment_122419762

why would you replace the kettle? you could probably buy 5l of white vinegar for under a tenner and clean it. and have over 4l of white vinegar left over…

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122420074#Comment_122420074

Would limes work?

I don't think water is the problem here…

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419762#Comment_122419762

The limescale buildup on the kettle from the bottled water I bought was massive. I got 5 litre bottles from LIDL, ALDI and SuperValu and there was massive limescale on the kettle from all three when I used it.

sydthebeat

Do people not habitually wash their kettles out?

I do all the time, probably fortnightly.

magicbastarder

i treat ours maybe once a month with a splash of vinegar. our water is not particularly hard.

Gregor Samsa

OP, sounds like this is what you want:

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-accessories/halfords-battery-top-up-water-5l-402396.html

feelings

Massive limescale buildup after 5 litres of bottled water? You're obviously having a laugh. 🙄

I presume you can drink de-ionised water? No minerals and not recommended, Tesco have it for about 3 EUR for 2.5L bottles.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122423806#Comment_122423806

There wasn't a massive amount of limescale after one boil, after about three or four boils it started to build up.

I can drink water with limescale in it but it's the tea that is made from it I don’t like.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122423844#Comment_122423844

Your kettle should have a mesh filter at the spout to stop any floating lime bits

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419744#Comment_122419744

I have a dehumidifier and it produces copious quantities of distilled water. Unfortunately it also gets some of the dust that's in the air in it as well that somehow slips past the filter on it. I filter that out with some very fine 450 mesh stainless steel mesh and it ends up crystal clear.

I use this in my espresso machine as my well sourced water is so hard you can almost trot a mouse on it and would have destroyed it in no time.

Aliexpress have a multitude of water/alcohol distilliation apparatuses available which would sort your tea making requirements.

Limescale won't stick to gold. Tefal used to make a kettle where the bottom was gold plated, and it works a treat.

lukin

The water softener has been repaired and since I started using the new water filter as well the water in the kettle is crystal clear, not a bit of lime to be seen. When it is boiling it makes a normal sound now instead of the crunching and rumbling that was coming from it when the lime was in it.

I have no issue with people who prefer lime in their water, it's just my personal preference not to have it.