What Causes Scaling & How To Combat Limescale Build Up?
It is very common in kettles and particularly in an espresso machine for water to create scaling. So, you should probably go and check your espresso If you have noticed a peculiar taste or smell from your coffee machine you may be drinking limescale without even knowing.
Why Does Water Cause Scaling to Occur in Your Espresso Machine?
Scaling occurs in your coffee machine because of the development of hard water. Hard water contains higher than average levels of dissolved minerals. It happens in nature when rainwater runs through rocks like limestone, which then absorbs minerals from them. These minerals, often calcium or magnesium carbonate are what makes the water become ‘hard’.
When hard water is heated inside your espresso machine, the calcium salt crystals begin to separate and spread out into the nearby surface and forms a layer of scaling across your espresso machine. This formation slows down the water flow and operation of the pipes. It can accumulate on most internal parts including the boiler and the heating element and may result in a loss of pressure, possible drop in temperature, or even blockages and leakages in your espresso machine.
Ways to Prevent Scaling in Your Espresso Machine
The main way to prevent scaling in your coffee machine is inside of it (especially if it is old), to see if there is any excess build-up of scale. This is a legal requirement under the PSSR Regulations. Here at Espresso Service, we offer high-level mandatory boiler inspections.
You may think that if you trade in a soft water area you don’t particularly need a water filter, whatever the type of water you have in your area, you’ll need a good quality water filter. importance of water management here.
Looking for a water monitor system? Look no further than Hydracs. This monitoring system allows you to connect digitally to commercial water filters and enables you remote monitor water quality and usage. Hydracs is a 2G battery-powered device that doesn’t interfere with any other commercial equipment. We would also recommend that you operate your equipment using a filter. Water that is too soft will be corrosive and hard water may lead to the build-up of limescale. Damage caused by limescale build-up could prove very expensive, the average cost of a descale is around £1100. You can help mitigate against the requirements to do this by investing in Hydracs, the device is compact and can adapt to any infrastructure. Learn more here.
Contact Us for Planned Maintenance Services
Get in touch with our experienced engineers for coffee machine maintenance by phone 02039 574 961 or through our contact form.