- 1). Find out if you have hard water. Public suppliers of water will know how hard their water is and can tell you what level of calcium and magnesium the water has. For private supplies, such as wells, you need to test the water yourself, or employ a testing lab. Buy water hardness test strips with a color change to indicate the presence of hard water. If you would like a more exact result, testing laboratories in your area can conduct separate magnesium and calcium tests for you, if you can send them a water sample. Soft water is regarded as having less than 17.1 mg per liter or parts per million of hardness. Water with more than 120 mg/l of hardness is regarded as very hard water.
- 2). Figure out your daily water consumption. This will be useful in choosing a water softening system that is appropriate for your needs.
- 3). Check with your doctor to see if softened water is appropriate for your use, as the water that has been treated has a higher sodium content than usual. High-sodium water is also not suitable for babies.
- 4). Choose a permanent water softening system that can be installed into your plumbing system. A specialist plumber can advise you on this if you tell him the results of the water hardness tests. Some water conditioners need to be plugged into the mains electricity, such as electromagnetic or electronic conditioners. Magnetic and electrolytic water conditioners do not need to be plugged in. All these physical conditioners use ion exchange to soften the water, altering the mineral crystals so the water acts as soft water.
- 5). Engage your specialist plumber to install the system.
- 6). Begin removing the limescale in your appliances once your water conditioner has been installed. For descaling coffeemakers and kettles, vinegar or lemon juice can be used. Quarter-fill the reservoir with the vinegar or lemon juice and let stand for an hour. Then top up with water and allow the appliance to run. Pour away the mixture before it cools. Rinse the appliance several times with clean water.
- 7). Use the same process for washers and dishwashers. Place a cup of vinegar or lemon juice in the detergent drawer of the washer, or in the base of the dishwasher, and run an empty cycle. Alternatively, commercial limescale removers can be used if they are appropriate to the task.
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