Do you often grapple with slow draining sinks or clogged toilets in your home? The culprit could be pipe scale, an accumulation of minerals and other substances over time. This guide will show you through understanding the problem, its effects on your plumbing system, and effective strategies for prevention and removal of this menace.
Be warned though, scale is an ongoing battle when it comes to keeping drains clear and healthy!
Understanding Scale Buildup in Pipes
Scale buildup in pipes occurs as a result of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, accumulating over time.
The main Cause of Scale Buildup
Hard water is the primary culprit behind scale buildup in pipes. Naturally occurring minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, present within hard water get deposited over time inside the pipe lining.
These deposits cling onto the inner walls of our pipes and gradually form a tough layer known as scale or limescale. Layer upon layer, they narrow down the diameter of your pipes significantly affecting their efficiency.
Another source that escalates this issue is high-temperature hot water; it accelerates the deposition process which further leads to severe clogging issues in heating systems like boilers and radiators along with regular pipelines.
If you’ve ever seen inside a scaled kettle or similar appliance, you’ve seen first hand how this impacts the whole water system!
So, not just what you flow through these tubes, but even how hot you choose it to be can impact on scaling intensity.
How it Affects the Plumbing System
Scale buildup in pipes can be a major burden on your plumbing system. The accumulation of minerals and other substances over time leads to obstructions that restrict water flow and bring down the efficiency of the whole system.
Particularly in cast iron pipes, which are more prone to intense scaling, this problem may lead to significant damage and repairs if not addressed promptly.
This is why older properties in the UK are particularly affected by scale, they have much more above and underground cast pipes…
Damaged or inefficient plumbing due to scale buildup doesn’t merely affect taps and sinks; it has wider implications too. For instance, narrowed pipe diameters from severe scale could slow drains or even halt drainage completely.
Quite often, I’ve seen major blockages caused not only by scale but other things catching on it – even just normal toilet tissue paper. Everything is inclined to catch on the rough edges, so not only is your pipe getting smaller, it’s also getting rough!
This situation often demands professional treatment involving pipe descaling procedures ultimately affecting both convenience and finances.
You can prevent scale building up with regular cleaning of your drains and using things like water softeners on the feed pipe coming into your property and maintaining both your drainage and plumbing systems – more on this later!
How Scale affects the Waste System or Drainage
Scale buildup in pipes directly impacts the waste system or drainage. Left unchecked, scale narrows the diameter of pipes which slows down or halts the draining process completely.
This problem can cause considerable strain on your property’s sewage disposal system, contributing to potential blockages and back-up issues. Cast iron pipes are particularly susceptible to intense scaling, increasing their chances of causing a hindrance in the waste system.
The issue extends beyond household plumbing systems influencing sewer lines where it may require professional intervention for resolution. In such cases, specially formulated calcium, lime and rust removal products prove beneficial in restoring normal flow within drainpipes riddled with scale accumulation.
Common Locations for Scale Buildup
Scale can form anywhere water flows, but certain areas may face more issues. Bathroom fixtures like showerheads and taps commonly harbour scale due to their frequent exposure to hard water.
In the kitchen, you’ll often find buildup in kettles and dishwashers. Also, look out for scaling near heated parts of appliances such as washing machines or boilers which heat the water directly.
Underground pipes are not immune either; they too deal with a high risk of scale accumulation over time because they carry hard water from reservoirs or wells into households. Lastly, don’t overlook your hot water tank as it’s another common site due to the mineral-rich warm environment inside favouring scale formation.
Here are some quick and easy places to look at when determining if there is a scale problem in your property (Both with plumbing and drainage)
Bathrooms
Toilets
- Inside the cistern, where water sits for long periods waiting to be flushed – check out the cistern walls, flush mechanism and inlet valve. Scale can also cause your toilet to take ages to fill if the water coming in has to get past reduction in an-already restricted way in!
- The toilet itself, if you’re constantly cleaning that scum around where the water level sits, and the bottom of the pan, this is usually due to scale!
- Pipes, both the feed – or inlet – pipes and waste pipes. Quite often tiny leaks are plugged with scale as it hardens on its way out of the pipe, so if you can see lumps of scale or grime on the outside of any joints or connections, this could be scale finding it’s way out as well as restricting the inside…
Baths and Showers
- Taps and shower heads, much like the inside of a toilet cistern can show easy signs of scale build up. If you look at the inside of the tap or head, where the water makes contact with the appliance, you can see where it’s building up.
- Plugholes – possibly an even easier visual clue than taps, the plugholes themselves can scale around the edges where the stainless steel meets porcelain. This is also where the fresh water becomes waste water, much like the toilet pan.
- Tiles – another place where the fresh water that made it’s way through the feed pipes then hits open air and makes contact with a surface before entering the drainage system, the grout between tiles and old silicone between the ceramic of the tiles and porcelain or plastic of the bath, shower or sink. Also another place that may need regular cleaning!
Sinks
- Sinks – just like bathroom hand wash sinks, kitchen sinks are prone to scale build up, maybe even more so! The taps tend to be used hotter for washing up, which can accelerate the scaling process, but the business end; the plughole and waste pipes also take the brunt of everything else from fats and oils to bits of food waste, helping to reduce the inside of the pipe even further and adding surface area to build upon!
- Food waste macerators – although banned in Scotland (since 2014), Wales (2016) and soon England, I’ve always been wary of these things. Yes they chew up food waste but from there where does it all go? Into the drain which should not be taking food at all…But if you do have one, the macerator and internal workings can suffer the same fate as everything else water touches in your property.
Kitchens
Appliances
- Kettles – another place that holds water constantly, even if you regularly empty it when not in use. Plus the heating element not only allowing you delicious coffee and tea, but also once again speeding up the scaling process. One look inside your kettle should tell you how hard the water is in your area.
- Coffee machines – much like kettles but will likely need more care and attention due to being more complicated appliances.
- Washing machines– the thing that cleans your clothes is also susceptible to scale- these things have compartments, pumps and associated pipe work from filling point to waste pipe, so care should also be taken with these! The drawers for detergents and additives and the holes in the drum itself can give good indication, and the inside of the door!
Lofts or Attics
Tanks
There isn’t usually much in the way of drainage in most lofts in the UK, but there’s plenty of plumbing!
Water storage tanks – as you can guess by now, anywhere there water is stored, scale builds up. Around the water line where the water meets the inside of the tank, inlet valves or ballcocks and the like are common places for scale to build up.
Pipes – just like the pipes everywhere else, the feed pipes in your loft can scale up. Especially any hot water elements such as the pipe work associated with the header tank. A decent water softener in the right place should help with this. Overflow pipes can also scale up, where sometimes excess water sits in the outlet or drips out. This is probably one of the lowest of priorities when it comes to attacking scale in your water system.
Basements or Cellars
There can be up to three sources of scale in a basement –
Rainwater gullies and downpipes – if you live in an area with hard water, chances are the rainwater features are also prone to clogging up. Especially cast iron pipes and fixtures. Also, gullies are designed to hold water so you’ve once again got the sitting water element.
Sump pumps – pumps of some kind are quite common in basements, this is an effective way of getting rain, waste or flood water up and away from the underground level and into a nearby normal gravity drain.
Basement walls – if there’s water coming in from pipes, windows or the anywhere else in the basement, you could see scale forming on the walls themselves. There should be plenty of preventative solutions for this, most likely in the form of specialist paints and coatings.
Outside the Property
By the time we get to the outside of the property, the water that came in from the mains has been through miles of pipe to get to you, through your feed pipes and then through the drainage system.
External Pipes – Stack pipes, down pipes, kitchen gullies, underground pipes, there are plenty of places around here for scale to form. Especially when it comes to cast iron pipes, such as the style the Victorians loved to use!
Manhole Chambers – There are also plenty of places within manhole chambers, such as incoming laterals where waste water can slow, allowing scale to form as other things such as foul waste, paper, fats and grease can create a perfect storm. This is common where joints or connections aren’t quite smooth, causing things to catch. Even when blockages are cleared or masses eventually move from the weight of water behind them, because scale forms from the very pipe or surface itself, it tends to stick.
With external drainage, it’s a fair bit easier for professional drainage companies to tackle – with a combination of mechanical chain flail or high pressure water jetting – or both!
Dangers of Pipe Scale
Pipe scale poses a range of dangers, including direct damage to pipes and components, overloading of pumping equipment, and contamination risks. This sounds like a lot to deal with, but can be easily and effectively tackled with the right approach.
Direct damage to pipes and components
Scale buildup directly harms pipes by causing blockages and cutting down on the water flow. Minerals accumulating inside the pipelines result in a reduced pipe diameter, which inevitably leads to slowed down or even completely halted drainage.
Especially if your home plumbing system comprises of cast iron pipes, they are more susceptible to this intense scaling effect.
Not only does it impede water movement, but also induces corrosion over time by sticking onto the inner surface and constantly reacting with the material of these components. The continuous erosion can lead to pipe failures – bringing about leaks or even bursts! A compromised pipeline isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a ticking time bomb that could potentially cause severe damage at any moment.
Overloading of pumping equipment
Heavy scale buildup in pipes can lead to overloading of pumping equipment. This happens because the scale narrows the diameter of pipes, restricting water flow and forcing pumps to work harder than they’re designed to.
If you have a pump system serving your property, a proper PPM (pre-planned maintenance) schedule can avoid expensive and avoidable equipment failures and property damage.
The ideal maintenance of a pump system is every 6 months, one minor service and one major service per year. You’ll get an idea from this how healthy your pumps are both mechanically and on the electrical side. Just make sure you keep a record of historical readings so you can see if they start going downhill.
The extra load can cause premature wear and tear on your pump systems, eventually leading to total system failure if not addressed promptly. Moreover, frequent breakdowns or need for repairs are common signs that a pump is being overloaded due to scale accumulation.
To avoid these costly problems, it’s crucial to minimise scale formation by routine maintenance – as mentioned above.
Contamination and toxicity risks
Pipe scale doesn’t just affect the efficiency and longevity of plumbing systems. There’s a dangerous, often overlooked aspect tied to contamination and toxicity risks. Over time, accumulated minerals create breeding grounds for bacteria in drinking water pipes.
Bacteria-laden scale poses serious health threats when consumed or used daily by inhabitants. Furthermore, if the scale materials contain heavy metals such as lead or copper, there could be potential toxicological hazards from prolonged ingestion or exposure.
The problem amplifies in larger buildings where stagnation zones exist in pipe networks allowing harmful organisms to multiply rapidly within the system.
This is somewhat out of DrainHub’s remit, so I would recommend a local plumber for advice on this aspect.
Prevention and Removal of Scale
To prevent and remove pipe scale, regular maintenance and cleaning are essential.
Regular maintenance and cleaning
Regular maintenance and cleaning of pipes is crucial in preventing scale buildup and ensuring the efficient functioning of your plumbing and drainage system. By regularly inspecting and cleaning your pipes, you can remove any existing scale deposits or debris that may obstruct water flow.
This proactive approach helps to prevent clogs, improve water pressure, and extend the lifespan of your pipes.
One simple DIY way to maintain clean pipes is by using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Pouring this solution down the drains on a monthly basis can help dissolve small amounts of scale buildup. This should also help deal with other, organic deposits too.
Additionally, there are specially formulated calcium, lime, and rust removal products available that can effectively eliminate stubborn scale deposits.
If you prefer professional assistance, there are services available for pipe descaling and corrosion treatment. These experts have the necessary tools and expertise to safely remove scale from your pipes without causing any damage.
When it comes to removing scale from waste pipes and drainage in general, I’ve used many machines over the years. Descaling scale tends to be done in two ways – mechanical cleaning and high pressure water jetting, or in some cases: both.
The mechanical aspect tends to be a machine operated spinning cable with a chain or blade attachment which rapidly spins inside the pipe, cutting and grinding the scale into a fine powder. Sometimes big chunks come loose, which are either broken down further or removed from the access point being used for the pipe clean.
Mechanical Descale
High Pressure Water Descale
High pressure water jetting tends to be a noisier, sometimes messier affair. There are portable versions but the majority are operated from a van or tanker and works via a self-contained engine which powers a pump which forces water from an internal tank (usually in the back of the van but sometimes on a trailer) through around 100 metres of hose and out of a nozzle. Depending on the nozzle used, this then breaks up and destroys the offending scale and anything else inside the pipe.
Use of electronic water treatment
Electronic water treatment is an effective method for preventing and removing scale buildup in pipes. This technology works by using electrical currents to alter the properties of water, inhibiting the formation of scale.
Unlike traditional chemical treatments, electronic water treatment is a non-invasive and environmentally-friendly solution. By installing an electronic device on your plumbing system, you can reduce or even eliminate scale buildup altogether.
This helps to maintain optimal water flow and prevent costly damage to your pipes and plumbing fixtures over time. By preventing scale at the source, this helps a massive amount when it comes to places prone to scaling up, like taps and waste pipes.
Chemical cleaning options
Chemical cleaning options can be an effective solution for removing scale buildup in pipes. There are specially formulated products available that can dissolve and break down the minerals and other substances causing the scaling.
These chemicals are designed to be safe for use in plumbing systems and can help restore water flow and improve overall system efficiency. It’s important to carefully follow the instructions when using these chemical cleaners to ensure their effectiveness and avoid any potential damage to the pipes.
Professional services also offer chemical treatments as part of their pipe descaling solutions, ensuring that your plumbing system is thoroughly cleaned and free from scale buildup. Just be sure to not be too reliant on chemicals as these can damage any seals in compression waste pipes.
Mechanical cleaning options, DIY or professional
Mechanical cleaning options are available for dealing with pipe scale buildup, and you have the choice to do it yourself or hire a professional. If you choose the DIY route, there are tools like drain snakes and pipe brushes that can help remove scale manually.
However, keep in mind that this method requires time, effort, and some plumbing knowledge. On the other hand, hiring a professional plumber who specializes in pipe descaling can ensure a thorough and effective cleaning process.
They have access to advanced equipment like high-pressure water jets or rotary brush systems that can efficiently remove scale from your pipes. Ultimately, whether you decide to tackle it yourself or bring in a professional will depend on your comfort level, available resources, and the severity of the scale buildup in your pipes.
Resources for Dealing with Pipe Scale
Dealing with pipe scale is crucial to ensure the proper functioning of your plumbing system and prevent costly repairs. Regular maintenance, including cleaning and treatment options, can help prevent scale buildup.
Additionally, utilizing professional services for descaling and corrosion treatment is recommended for more severe cases. Remember, taking proactive measures will help keep your pipes clear and flowing smoothly.
I would always recommend a mechanical or high pressure water jetting solution to descaling waste pipes, as this is less hazardous to everyone involved and can be guaranteed to leave a satisfactory finish – just make sure any pipes worked on have before and after photos or footage if possible. And then do the same thing annually, it will be cheaper in the long run!
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