Lime scale in water

In Denmark we generally put up with very hard water - some places are worse than others. Water that is very hard normally contains a substantial quantity of lime scale. A certain amount of lime scale is good for us, but at the same time too much lime scale is not good for household appliances, for example, or kitchen and bathroom tiles.

We’re all familiar with water scale in everyday objects: in the toilet, the coffee maker, on bathroom tiles or in installations such as water pipes.

Where is it the worst?

If you frequently find yourself descaling the coffee maker, wiping down fittings and tiles - in most cases it’s because you live in an area of Denmark that has hard water.

In Vendsyssel, East Jutland, on Fyn, West Zealand and Bornholm, the water hardness is between medium and hard. Møn, Lolland-Falster, East Fyn, West Fyn, Langeland and the area just outside Copenhagen has hard water. It’s particularly bad in the metropolitan area, where the hardness could be above 30°dh.

If you are in any doubt about whether you live in an area with water with a high lime scale content or not, you can the information here: Water hardness in Denmark

Does lime scale do water any good? Advantages and disadvantages.

Avoiding lime scale altogether is not good for us. If we remove lime scale from our drinking water completely, it could harm teeth and bones, as they benefit from a lime scale supplement. But we often get this supplement from our food. Dairy products in particular are rich in calcium, but also raw vegetables, cereals, prawns and herring contain ample amounts of calcium, which could be a reason why we should have less calcium in our drinking water.

Lime scale in our water is something of an invisible enemy - which soon shows its ugly face. It’s one thing to remove calcium from drinking water when it is used for preparing food and drinks, but when lime scale is removed for the purpose of making cleaning easier, it makes a big difference.

As mentioned earlier, lime scale gets in all visible places where water has a “free hand”. In household appliances too, on tiles, fittings, and so on. By reducing the lime scale content of the water - or removing it completely - you also reduce the time you spend on cleaning, as well as your expenses on detergents. With no or only a small amount of lime scale in the water, you only need a small measure of detergent to get a good and easily-achieved result.

Your coffee maker will last considerably longer with water that has a low lime scale content. These can be descaled, but generally speaking, there is often something that gets overlooked during a busy day. If your water has a very high lime scale content, the build-up of lime scale in your coffee maker is something that could slip your mind, which on the other hand would be of benefit to the busy or forgetful person.

Which solution is best for me?

Which solution you should choose is in the vast majority of cases a matter of preference, and very individual. There will always be pros and cons, and if you don’t have a problem with lime scale, then you don’t need to take any further action.

On the other hand, if you want to get rid of all that calcium in your drinking water, or at least large parts of it, and if you live in an area of hard water or worse, then a Smartflow water softener will be the optimal solution for you. Smartflow can remove lime scale, but will basically reduce the hardness and hence the level of lime scale in your water to around 5°dh. Everything in moderation - this applies to lime scale as well. You don‘t want too much, but you don‘t want to eliminate it entirely either.

To draw a parallel that used to be in vogue, you can compare it to soda water. Soda water with too much gas is unpleasant to drink, but no-one wants to drink it with too little or no gas at all. So we want a solution that comes somewhere in the middle.

But it’s not just if you live in a hard water area that a Smartflow will be a good solution. There is lime scale in water everywhere, and if you want to be able to control the lime scale in your water to enable you to cut back on expenses on cleaning and maintenance, then Smartflow is definitely worth considering.

Smartflow water softener

Filter-Online sells 2 different sizes of Smartflow systems which are designed for different sizes of households. Smartflow 125 is the most space-efficient model, which is ideal for 2-4 persons. Smartflow 250 is suitable for larger households, but also for small cafes and restaurants. Water softening is particularly optimal within the restaurant sector, as here you have considerably more expensive machines, which you would rather not see scaled up. At the same time, glass and crockery are often washed, which would not be optimal if there is a lot of calcium in the water.

What the 2 types of system have in common is that they are naturally approved for drinking water according to RISE C90037. As one of few systems on the Danish market, the Smartflow comes with an active carbon filter. An active carbon filter removes any bad tastes and smells in the water, leaving you with a pleasant experience.

A Smartflow has the additional benefit of being inexpensive to operate. It has a low salt and water consumption per regeneration, and only regenerates when the supply is used up. Other systems MUST regenerate every 4 days, whereas in many cases Smartflow doesn’t need to regenerate more often than every 14 days.

                                                                         
Alternatives to Smartflow

Where Smartflow is distinguished by its ability to remove calcium from water in a whole household, our Crystal water filter can do so a little more “locally”. If you only want calcium-free water in the kitchen tap, for example, then Filter-Online’s Crystal H-B set is perfect for you. The set consists of 4 filters, each with its own feature.

• K3 -A filter that filters sediments and dirt.
• KH - Water softening filter with ion exchange, which can be regenerated.
• K7B – Microfilter that removes bacteria and particles down to 0.1 µm.
• K7 - Active carbon filter that filters ochre and heavy metals.

The filters are easy to replace, and should be replaced after 6 months or after approx. 6,000 litres’ throughput, in order to keep bacteria out of the filters.

Do you want to get rid of lime scale in your water?

If you‘re tired of large volumes of lime scale in your water - then Smartflow or Crystal H-B is definitely a solution for you. Filter-Online arranges sales and contact with a local plumber, who is able to install the system in your home.
With this solution, you can reduce the volume of lime scale in your drinking water, or eliminate it completely. It’s entirely up to you as a consumer to choose what is best for your household. Filter-Online will naturally guide you through the whole process, and also if you have any questions at later stage.