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Message
Showerhead Issues - mineral deposits
Posted on 8/14/23 at 1:42 pm
Posted on 8/14/23 at 1:42 pm
Our home is 12 or so years old. We have been in it almost 3 years. We are in a Houston suburb and have hard water. We replaced the showerhead in the master 4 months ago. The one that was there started having some mineral/calcium deposits (the white crud) issues and the smalls holes would get clogged. Wife (sorry, no pics) bought a cheapo rain style showerhead off of Amazon. 4 months in and the cheapo is already showing signs of being plugged. The little rubber tips shoot random directions.
So, would a water softener help or should we have invested in a quality showerhead? Or both?
So, would a water softener help or should we have invested in a quality showerhead? Or both?
6
Posted on 8/14/23 at 1:51 pm to Goldensammy
Put some CLR in a plastic bag large enough that you can put it over the showerhead and attach it to the showerhead somehow so that the holes can soak in the CLR thoroughly. I have used strong tape to attach bag. Let soak a good while
Posted on 8/14/23 at 2:31 pm to Goldensammy
quote:
The little rubber tips shoot random directions.
Sometimes just rubbing your fingers over them will unclog them while the shower is running.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 2:47 pm to Goldensammy
A water softener would definitely help.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 2:47 pm to Goldensammy
Does it happen to your sink faucets at all?
Posted on 8/14/23 at 3:45 pm to WPBTiger
Yeah, I have to do that darn near every shower.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 3:51 pm to Pahnew
quote:
Does it happen to your sink faucets at all?
Yes, but those aren't as noticable. I've pulled the faucet nozzle/end piece off of every faucet and soaked them in vinegar in the past. The faucets are all original to the home (12or so years old). I know the water is hard and whatnot, so none of this is unexpected. The new showerhead is just a few months old and has these issues. I'm wondering if the problem would be the same if we had bought a high-end showerhead rather than the cheapo chinamade from Amazon.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 3:52 pm to Goldensammy
The showerhead ain't gonna change the water
Posted on 8/14/23 at 3:57 pm to WPBTiger
quote:
Sometimes just rubbing your fingers over them will unclog them while the shower is running.
Agreed. I use my fingernail to scrape the junk off. Takes a few minutes but works every time.
This post was edited on 8/14/23 at 3:59 pm
Posted on 8/14/23 at 4:24 pm to Bayou
quote:
Put some CLR in a plastic bag large enough that you can put it over the showerhead and attach it to the showerhead somehow so that the holes can soak in the CLR thoroughly. I have used strong tape to attach bag. Let soak a good while
I just take the shower head off and soak it in a tupperware with CLR, same thing for the kitchen faucet as well.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 6:54 pm to guedeaux
Don’t even need to buy CLR, white vinegar and baking soda will do a better job.
Posted on 8/14/23 at 7:19 pm to LSU-MNCBABY
quote:
Don’t even need to buy CLR, white vinegar and baking soda will do a better job
Ummmmm….I think baking soda will neutralize the acidic nature of the vinegar.
Posted on 8/15/23 at 3:42 am to WPBTiger
quote:
quote:
The little rubber tips shoot random directions.
Sometimes just rubbing your fingers over them will unclog them while the shower is running.
That is exactly why they are rubber and not metal or hard plastic.
Posted on 8/15/23 at 8:16 am to Goldensammy
That same water is in all your plumbing and water related appliances and fixtures. You need to fix it, soon. We have the same issue, and a water neutralizer was recommended by our home inspector when we purchased. I have not been able to figure out the real difference between a neutralizer and a softener, but need something.
Posted on 8/15/23 at 10:11 am to Bayou
quote:
Put some CLR in a plastic bag large enough that you can put it over the showerhead and attach it to the showerhead somehow so that the holes can soak in the CLR thoroughly. I have used strong tape to attach bag. Let soak a good while
I just put it in a squirt bottle and spray it, let it sit then hit it with a soft bristle brush.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 2:57 pm to Obtuse1
How long do you think it needs to soak in vinegar?
Posted on 8/19/23 at 4:24 pm to Goldensammy
Go to Amazon and get something like this. 75% vinegar.
You can buy it in larger quantities like gallon jugs. It'll take away calcium buildup better than anything else. It also works well on tons of other cleaning jobs.
The higher the concentrate, the better it'll work.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 12:52 pm to Spankum
quote:
Ummmmm….I think baking soda will neutralize the acidic nature of the vinegar.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 5:28 pm to LSU-MNCBABY
quote:
Don’t even need to buy CLR, white vinegar and baking soda will do a better job.
Just use plain vinegar. Been doing this for decades living in N.O. to clean showerheads and aerators on kitchen and bathroom sink faucets.
I pour vinegar in a bowl just big enough to put the showerhead in and deep enough to cover the openings then pour straight household vinegar in the bowl and let it sit for a couple hours. Remove, wash with mild soap and rinse.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 6:11 pm to gumbo2176
quote:
I pour vinegar in a bowl just big enough to put the showerhead in and deep enough to cover the openings then pour straight household vinegar in the bowl and let it sit for a couple hours.
You’re removing the shower head and soaking it?
Allow me to suggest a ziploc bag that you zip-tie/bread tie to the shower head instead for anyone thinking of doing that, though there’s nothing inherently wrong/dangerous with repetitively removing/replacing the shower head, as we’re talking about what? One treatment every 6-24 months? But it just seems like a bit more hassle to me.
I’m in the hard water club. Unrelated to that, I just replaced a Waterpick shower head with tons of tiny spray holes (which occasionally required manual removal of scale and soaking in vinegar) a Speakman Icon 2.5gpm. The design is significantly different, and I think it will develop scale over time, but I don’t think it will affect the performance to the same degree. I also don’t think that alone is a reason to change a shower head out.
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