Hard water - reversible?

 I have hard water - I don't know how hard but limescale forms on some of
the faucets and I have a slow filling toilet tank.  We've been in the place
5 years now and It's About Time.  For water treatment, that is.

My question is, once I get this water condition diagnosed and properly
treated, will the effects of hard water on the plumbing fixtures, etc.
start to reverse?  I'm particularly interested in the toilet tank fill
valve, which has a very minimal flow in it.   I'll replace it if I have to,
but I'm hoping that I don't have to.

Thanks.

---
  Never trust a computer that you can lift.  (from the Mainframe Forum)

 

You will slow or stop the new damage, but not reverse the damage
that is already there.  In the case of your toilet, it likely
has scale built up inside of the valve or the small diameter
feed line.

BTW, don't just think of your plumbing.  Think of what this
stuff could be doing to your body.  It is in the water you
drink and the food you cook.  I have also found that hard
water is bad on appliances, so fixing this problem will extend
their lives.  Clothes washed in soft water also last much
longer, which will save you enough money to pay for the
new gizmo.

-john-

--
======================================================================
John A. Weeks III           952-432-2708            john@johnweeks.com
Newave Communications                         http://www.johnweeks.com
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 On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 00:23:26 -0600, "John A. Weeks III"


Not a problem with most hard water. The hardness is usually mostly
calcium, magnesium, and carbonate, sometimes also iron, potassium, and
sulfate. Problems arise if you are in an area that has unwholesome
minerals such as arsenic in the water supply, but those are relatively
few.

Conventional ion-exchange softened water is actually much worse for
you, because the calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with sodium.

if you want soft drinking water, you will need something like a
reverse-osmosis system, not an ion-exchange system.

--
Chris Green

 

Yep, that's what I thought.  Darn.  :)


I don't drink the tap water; the kids call it "sink water" with a certain
amount of disdain.  We drink distilled; started because my wife's
allergic to chlorine and we had city water.  When we moved here, we just
kept it going.

Thanks.

---
  Never trust a computer that you can lift.  (from the Mainframe Forum)