Water basics
Limescale guide
Limescale is the chalky residue hard water leaves behind, and left unchecked, it quietly shortens the life of almost everything that heats or carries water in your home.
What is limescale, exactly?
It's calcium carbonate that precipitates out of hard water when it's heated or evaporates, leaving a hard, white-to-grey deposit on any surface the water touches.
Where it causes the most damage
Kettles and immersion heaters (scale insulates heating elements, forcing them to work harder), boilers and hot water cylinders, washing machine and dishwasher heating elements, and shower heads and taps (reduced flow, blocked jets).
Why it costs money over time
Scale acts as an insulator, so heating elements need more energy and more time to reach temperature. In hard-water areas, this extra strain is one of the most common causes of early appliance failure and higher energy bills.
Managing it without a softener
Descale kettles and shower heads regularly with a vinegar or citric-acid solution, use a jug filter for drinking and cooking water, and consider a scale inhibitor for appliances if a full softener isn't an option.
Solving it at the source
A whole-home water softener removes the minerals before they ever reach your pipes and appliances, which is why it's the option most people in genuinely hard-water areas end up choosing.
Check your water hardness
Enter your address and we'll tell you how hard your water is, and what to do about it.
Estimated from published regional water hardness data (DWI classification), by postcode area, not an exact reading for your address. Address lookup by Loqate. We use your postcode to estimate hardness, and your address to help an engineer find you if you request a callback.
CaCO₃ is the limescale-forming mineral in your water: the higher the number, the harder it is.
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