Lime Buildup for Dummies

pipe scale

When it comes to posts about DIY projects, we've noticed that many of the freelancers seem to be doing little more than rewording a post written by someone who they've decided knows what he or she is talking about. The better ones use two or three sources and – if they're really good – seamlessly combine the text. At the other end of the spectrum, however, are the freelancers like eHow.com's Tucker Cummings, who wasn't even well-versed enough in "How to Clean Calcium Build Up [sic] in Water Pipes" (a Hunker.com presentation) to find a reference that wasn't utter bull to begin with.

It appears that neither of Tucker's two BA degrees involved plumbing, chemistry, or perhaps even logic. We'll start with chemistry: pipes don't suffer from calcium buildup, but they may, under some circumstances, be partially clogged by a buildup of lime. That means calcium-bearing minerals, especially calcium carbonate and calcium oxides. That should have been the first thing Cummings corrected (not to mention that "buildup" is one word, not two).

As for the rest? Tucker's failure of logic raises its ugly head in sentence number one:

"Calcium build up [sic] in your water pipes can lead to slow drains, cause your hot water to run cold, and other plumbing issues."

Well, no, Tucker, calcium buildup won't cause your drains to run slowly; mostly because the cross-sectional area of drain pipes is several times that of supply pipes. Lime buildup in your pipes is unlikely to cause your "hot water to run cold," although lime buildup in your water heater might be the culprit. Worst of all, however, is Cummings' "solution" to the problem of clogged water pipes, which she appears to have lifted from an article at DoItYourself.com that has been pummeled in its comments. Her instructions go something like this:

1. Turn off your water.
2. Buy Lime-A-Way or CLR; flush it through your pipes.
3. You may also have success with a product such as Drano Foaming Pipe Snake.

Those instructions caused every one of the amateur plumbers on our staff to scratch their heads and say words to the effect of "Whaaaaa???? Clean out water supply pipes with 'pipe snake'? Is this moron kidding?" And what may be worse, she claims that

"If you have especially hard water, you may need to clean your water pipes every 3 to 6 months to avoid heavy calcium build up"...

We have heard that some people have had a little luck in cleaning scale off the interior walls of their pipes by emptying out the household plumbing (turn off the water, drain water at the lowest point in the plumbing, disconnect water heater and/or water softener, pour vinegar or other weak acid through pipes from highest point, flush out loosened solids).

That plan might work, although preventive maintenance is probably better where possible: water softeners and whole-house water filters can reduce the precipitation of scale on the plumbing. But pouring CLR through our pipes? Really? Does Cummings have the slightest idea how plumbing works?

Don't bother trying to follow the instructions written by our Dumbass of the Day; they're not only stupid they're dangerously stupid.

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