While calcium, magnesium, and other minerals commonly found in all drinking water, offer a host of health benefits, they can also present challenges for water pipes, ice makers, tankless water heaters, and other equipment as the minerals solidify and form scale.

As water percolates through the soil, picking up calcium and magnesium deposits on the way. The type of soil in your water source is the main factor that determines water hardness. Water that flows over volcanic (igneous) rock is softer, while sedimentary rock like limestone, chalk, or gypsum may harden water.

Minerals Found in Water Can Affect Ice Makers and Tankless Water Heaters

When minerals are present in your ice maker or tankless water heater, the calcium and magnesium deposits bond to create scale. Scale can range in color and hardness, but it generally has the consistency of chalk and binds to surfaces.

Scale binds to ice machines and tankless water heater components. Furthermore, the heat energy in the tankless water heater separates the calcium from the water, creating calcium deposits that can accumulate on the heat exchanger. Over time, if no action were taken, that buildup would make heat transfer more difficult, straining the water heater and reducing its lifespan.

It’s important to make sure that ice machines and tankless heaters have the proper maintenance or mitigation systems to address the potential for scale to form.

Delray Beach Utilities Process Improvements to Ensure Softened Water

• Water Treatment Plant operators take frequent samples throughout the treatment process to identify when equipment may have deviated from its normal performance. This enables them to make timely adjustments and maintain proper softening levels in the finished water.
• Internal City resources and external contractors are employed to regularly flush water lines throughout the distribution system.

How Can I Deal With Scale?

Salt-based water softeners use salt to reduce the levels of minerals in the water supply. They use a process called ion exchange to swap calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. What results is a water supply low in magnesium and calcium and high in sodium.

These systems work by crystallizing calcium in the water so that it can’t adhere to surfaces. This maintains the levels of magnesium and calcium in the water but prevents it from forming scale.

Phosphate filters are common. These filters treat hard water by satisfying the ionic bonds between magnesium and calcium, so they never combine to form scale. Phosphate filters don’t work well in hot water conditions but are suitable for most commercial ice machines.