Water that is high in calcium and other minerals, also generally known as hard water, can make your sink faucets look nasty. Calcium buildup sometimes labeled as limescale can furthermore cause water flow issues. If you are enduring water flow problems, the object of your concern is with the faucet aerator, located inside the fixture. A faucet aerator is a hollow metal cylinder that screws over the end of a faucet. Inside the aerator is a tiny screen, a rubber washer, a mixer disc, and perhaps a flow restrictor or an inner plastic housing. When these rudiments get crammed with mineral deposits, the fixture will start having water pressure problems, possibly forming an uneven or erratic flow.
To rectify these obstacles, work on cleaning your faucet’s aerator. Cleaning a blocked aerator is a fundamental method, although it needs to be conducted meticulously to make sure you are not breaking any of the many parts that are found in its interior. Most aerators can be taken off by hand or a pair of pliers, enabling you to scrutinize the faucet spout for any deposits or blockages inside. After taking the aerator apart, just soak the pieces in a bowl of white vinegar overnight. This will free the mineral buildup and let you rub off any debris. Re-assemble the aerator and replace it on the fixture, then check your water flow. You should see huge differences soon after.
Moreover, white vinegar is beneficial when cleaning hard water buildup on the exterior surfaces of a sink faucet, too. There is no need for expensive household cleaners if you practice the method recommended by the pros at Mr. Rooter. Their website has a lot of guidance on how to clean hard water buildup on faucets, but the process is easy. Just soak some paper towels or strips of rags in white vinegar and wrap the base of the faucet with them. Fasten the rags to the faucet with rubber bands and let the vinegar sit for at least an hour, then scrub clean.
For an even more simplistic account of this method, you can attempt the plastic bag method. To do this method, you need to fill a plastic sandwich bag with vinegar and tie it to the end of the faucet with a rubber band, guaranteeing that the end of the fixture is completely covered in the vinegar. Let the faucet soak for an hour or two, and then remove the bag and scrub it clean. Then, test your water flow: if the issue is still unresolved, you’ll have to attempt cleaning the aerator as described above.
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