Hi Guys,
All of these are solved problems and I think that many of you are at the stage where you might be interested in tackling The Insanely Long Water FAQ.
A few things that I took from it:
(a) Brita filters are not designed to remove scale. They will do so, but getting good performance out of them requires replacing them more often than youd think.
(b) The ion exchange softeners at the end of the silicon tube in your tank probably needs to be recharged more often than youd think, too.
Jims conclusion:
I personally think home machine users are better served using neutral or harder water and preventively descaling. At home use levels, the 5 gram scale accumulation criterion will only require monthly to quarterly descaling, and the coffee taste will be at its best whenever the water is at 90/50 or above, since the machine will reduce it to that level by heating it. Whether or not to soften the water down to this level depends on how hard the tap water is; if the water is very hard, descaling could become a weekly chore, and such a partial softening could be preferable.
Theres several ways to do this. The conceptually simplest is to boil the water for a few minutes; this removes hardness in excess of coffee levels. I use my Brita jug for all drinking water, since my water is cloudy from old pipes; its incomplete softening, or that of the hose end softener in a warm tank, also makes for a tasty espresso. Finally, tap water can be diluted with RO water to reach any hardness level one wants.
Theres several ways to do this. The conceptually simplest is to boil the water for a few minutes; this removes hardness in excess of coffee levels. I use my Brita jug for all drinking water, since my water is cloudy from old pipes; its incomplete softening, or that of the hose end softener in a warm tank, also makes for a tasty espresso. Finally, tap water can be diluted with RO water to reach any hardness level one wants.
Cheers,
Luca


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