Water Filters and Lime Scale

[Gum Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gum]

These pages and many other web sites emphasise the virtues of filtering your tap water.

What I am not so clear on is what degree of success the various water filters have on reducing/eliminating lime scale build-up.

We use a Doulton on-bench ceramic filter. I have no doubt that it is cleaning our water significantly but is it doing anything to reduce lime scale build-up?

[Fresh_Coffee . Find all posts View Profile Close Fresh_Coffee]

Re: Water Filters and Lime Scale

In a nutshell......

The elements that come out of solution as scale inside your coffee machine, pass straight through "regular" particle filters because they are not particles......they are "in solution".

There are two ways of attacking this:
a) use a "water softener" which is a device that takes the elements out of the water before the water goes into your machine and
b) use a "water filter" that releases a scale inhibiting substance that stops the elements coming out of solution as scale in the machine and/or sticking to the insides of the machine.

If you want to know if your water filter has scale inhibiting properies, you will have to make enquiries with the supplier / importer / manufacturer of your filter.

Hope that helps.

Rgdz,
Attilio
very first CS site sponsor 

[jkarlis Caffeine Junky Find all posts View Profile Close jkarlis]

Re: Water Filters and Lime Scale

You also need to consider your input water and if you actually need a scale inhibiting filter or water softener.

I live in Adelaide so am obsessed with monitoring water hardness. If youre in Melbourne you may not need to bother.

Hardness test strips are readily & cheaply available from many of our fine sponsors or you should also be able to get them from a pool supply shop.