If the faucet is calcified, this not only leads to unsightly stains - it can also happen that the water flow is impaired and the water sprays in all directions. What can be done about it? In this article we have briefly summarized how you can easily descale a faucet yourself.
In this article we have briefly summarized how you can easily descale a faucet yourself.
Descale a faucet with vinegar
In order to effectively descale a faucet, you do not necessarily have to resort to expensive descaling solutions. Rather, it may be sufficient to trust the household remedy vinegar. Combined with a few common items and some skill, you can achieve fantastic results like this. The only requirement for this is that you have a permeable aerator on your fitting.
Materials and tools required
material: vinegar, balloon or plastic bag, rubber band or hair band.
tool: wrench.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Prepare the balloon
Put the vinegar in the balloon or plastic bag to prepare. Half a filling height is sufficient for this, as you should leave enough space for the water tap. Also keep in mind that the balloon will have to be attached to the tap later, which could also be difficult if it is completely filled.
2. Put the balloon over the tap
Then take the balloon filled with vinegar and put it over the tap so far that the aerator is completely immersed in the liquid. This contact is necessary for the vinegar to develop its full descaling effect. Incidentally, if something goes wrong, it doesn't matter as long as there is enough vinegar in the balloon.
3. Fix the balloon
If the balloon is in the right position, it can already be fixed with the rubber band or hair band. Put this over the tap again and again until it is tight and holds the balloon in the desired position by itself.
4. Wait for the exposure time
The next step is: wait. The vinegar will take a moment to effectively loosen the limescale, so you should let the construction sit for a while. Depending on the degree of soiling, it is worth planning between 15 and 60 minutes for this step.
5. Remove the balloon
When the exposure time is over, you can remove the balloon from the tap again. To do this, simply pull off the rubber band and the balloon and empty the contents directly into the sink.
6. Rinse the faucet
To prevent vinegar residue from damaging the fittings, you should briefly rinse your tap with cold water after this step. Here you can also see directly how successful your mission was - the water flow should have improved significantly and limescale residues should no longer be visible.
Possible problems and frequently asked questions
The balloon does not fit over the faucet
If you only have very small balloons in your own household, it can of course happen that you cannot pull the material over the tap optimally. In such cases, you can easily use other materials - plastic bags, cling film, shower caps or condoms are conceivable.
The balloon doesn't last
On the other hand, if the balloon doesn't stay on the faucet, you can use heavier artillery than the rubber band or hair band. For example, try to fix the balloon with tape or tie it with a shoelace, which can increase the pulling force.
Limescale residues are still visible
If decalcifying the tap with vinegar improves the problem of splashing, but does not lead to a visual improvement, this may be due to the exposure time being too short. Try going through all the steps again, this time letting the vinegar sit for a lot longer.
The water flow is still bad
If, on the other hand, limescale residues are no longer visible, but the water flow is still somewhat restricted, an additional step is worthwhile during the implementation. Use the wrench to loosen the aerator from the tap and place it directly in the balloon. In this way, the vinegar can also reach areas that were previously blocked.
Video: Descale a faucet
youtubeThe professional alternative
[amazon:B007D2A4UO]If you don't want to tinker with a balloon or a plastic bag yourself, you can use a professional [descaling tool|B007D2A4UO] instead. This works on a similar principle, but only has to be filled with the descaling solution and put on, so you don't need a rubber band or adhesive film. This tool is reusable and fits all standard faucets.
Some companies also offer the service of professionally descaling your sanitary facilities with special equipment. This is done using an on-site analysis of water hardness and water consumption calculations. Although this procedure can be quite expensive, it also results in descaling those areas of your fittings that you cannot easily reach yourself.
RB