We've had a neutralizer and water softener for the past 27 years. Plumber said, though, that well water also contains calcium which after many years collects at the bottom of toilet drain, narrowing it and risking backflow. Sort of like an artery that closes up with fat/cholesterol as we age.
Is this true? Thanx, Marie
We autopsied one toilet (with a sledge hammer :-) that only lasted
11 years from the time it was new until it stopped working when the narrowest part of the throat became the size of a hot dog.Nick
Actually it tends to collect in the small holes under the rim reducing the flush action. In addition it would appear he has it wrong. The purpose of your water softener is to remove the calcium and replace it with sodium (a soft material) That happens in the ion exchange tank where the sodium from the salt (sodium chloride) trades places with the calcium in the water and forming calcium chloride that is flushed out. So if you water softener is working you should not have a serious problem.
That is why, when you have a high calcium or lime content in your water, you should clean your toilets with an acidic based toilet cleaner. Many liquid cleaners are acidic based, read the ingredients to find a suitable one. The acid in the cleaner will disolve the minerals to prevent them from building up. Also you say that you have a water softener, if the toilet supply is connected to the softened water, there "should" be no problems, as the softener's job is to remove the calcium/lime from the water.
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