No descaling if you use distilled water?

[SniffCoffee]

Im thinking of graduating to a boiler based machine and was wondering if anyone has found whether using distilled water reduces the amount of scale in their boiler?

Sniff

[bolb]

Re: No descaling if you use distilled water?

I am no expert but advice i have been given here is that distilled water shouldnt be used, filtered water yes but descaling should still be carried out regularly.
Site sponsor bombora have water treatment and filtration systems for domestic use, i setup one of their systems at home and we have filtered and softened water for drinking and coffee machine.

In my opinion, money well spent.

Mal

[Dimal]

Re: No descaling if you use distilled water?

Gday Sniff....

Lots about this topic and more to be found in this thread...

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1245022813

Mal.

[SniffCoffee]

Re: No descaling if you use distilled water?

Thanks to you both, Mals!

Sniff

[Brewman]

Re: No descaling if you use distilled water?

Gday Sniff....

Lots about this topic and more to be found in this thread...

Yes, youve opened a contentious issue Sniff
Distilled or De-ionised water will reduce the amount of scale and, contrary to popular opinion, will not damage your coffee machine.
On the other hand, it does not taste good (unfortunately calcium makes water, and coffee and beer, taste yummy ), DI/distilled water tastes meh!.
Distilled water will also fool many water sensors into thinking that the tank is empty when it isnt.
If you really wish to treat your water, use a softening system rather than a demineralisation system or distilled water.
From memory, Canberra has soft water anyway.
Ive come to the personal conclusion that scale is only an issue if you dont descale regularly.

FYI:
Your local water supplier is required to submit water analysis data for public availability, it should be on their website, if not ring them. You are interested in the hardness number of the water (the combination of calcium and magnesium concentrations)
A hardness number of 200+ is a worry (hard, but very good for making pommy style beers ), a number <50 is soft with the intervening gap usually where our drinking water sits.

[SniffCoffee]

Re: No descaling if you use distilled water?

Thanks Brewman, thats useful info indeed.

I might stick with just using my Presso a little longer, as then I dont have a boiler to worry about - just a kettle.


Cheers

Sniff