Since getting a new kitchen tap that has a fine filter in the nozzle, we've been finding that it gets blocked up with whitish crumbly crud.
It's NOT limescale, we live in a soft water area. Vinegar has no effect. It's crumbly if you squash it and feels a bit gritty.
We have a mains pressure stainless steel HW tank.
What is this stuff? Could it be from a sacrificial anode in the tank?
Tim
Limescale? Brian
Bless!
Vinegar is a very weak acid and the effect may not be apparent. Water hardness is often not a constant thing. Often water comes from different areas, piped in from miles away. The amount of rainfall affects water hardness I live in a "soft" water area but our tap water is very hard, it comes from Wales.
Your sacrificial anode rots away to very similar stuff to limescale. (Magnesium carbonate). But the amount produced is negligible. You can test the ph of your water with narrow range litmus paper if you're that interested. If less than seven your anode is useful. If not it is ornamental.
"Limescale" takes many forms, depending on the rocks the rainwater has run through and for how long.
Is the pipework new or recently replaced? After we had our toilet and shower-room knocked together and modernised, I found soft white crud collecting in the little filter in the tap nozzle on the wash basin, which sounds very like your stuff. I put it down to overly generous use of Plumbers Mait or similar by the plumber when he re-did the pipework. Not had a problem since, but then I've taken the filter out so probably wouldn't see it anyway.
The kitchen tap is the only new thing. I suppose it's possible that it's originating from within the tap itself. Will have to check other taps.
Tim
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