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Old 10-05-2011, 09:39 AM
 
3,787 posts, read 7,006,393 times
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I'm used to having lot's of iron build up in the water and pipes. Not so here! What I discovered in this area is kind of a grey/white film that doesn't go away. The ring in the toilet is grey and won't scrub off. Even if I wash the car by hand there is a film on the windows that sticks. I know this is a weird question but what is that stuff and how do I deal with it? (I haven't washed the car in ages so don't call the water police)
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Old 10-05-2011, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
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Calcium and magnesium salts from hard water will leave residue on your sinks, pipes, etc.. Various 'lime' removal products work, but they need to be a bit acidic. Long-term, you can get a water softener (plenty of 'advice' on here for that ).

Not sure about on your car, that would not typically be the hard water, but not sure.
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Old 10-05-2011, 10:41 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
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I use CLR and it seems to do a good job.
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Old 10-05-2011, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
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You are seeing normal "hard water" deposits. Adding a water softener is the best way to deal with it. If you choose not to - over time you will see buildup on any fixtures that water passes through.
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Old 10-05-2011, 11:46 AM
 
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Magnesium salts and calcium, thanks trainwreck. I'll look that up. We have a water softener but still the build up. I'll try the CLR too. As an aside...I like the water here. And even though it's been hell trying to get acclimated to the heat I have to say our overall health, (family) has been much, much better here. Yay! *knock on wood

I might be on the verge of saying I like it here.

Last edited by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots; 10-05-2011 at 12:00 PM..
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Old 10-05-2011, 12:20 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,714 posts, read 31,205,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots View Post
Magnesium salts and calcium, thanks trainwreck. I'll look that up. We have a water softener but still the build up. I'll try the CLR too. As an aside...I like the water here. And even though it's been hell trying to get acclimated to the heat I have to say our overall health, (family) has been much, much better here. Yay! *knock on wood

I might be on the verge of saying I like it here.
Maybe your softener is set incorrectly.....
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Old 10-05-2011, 01:02 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post
Maybe your softener is set incorrectly.....
Good idea to check. We also switched to potassium chloride as our 'salt'. A little pricey, but perhaps a touch better if you have sodium sensitivities.

Before we added the water softener, we couldn't even polish a near dry water spot from our glass shower walls. Now, I can just squeegee and the glass is nearly spotless.

You might try vinegar as a rinse agent for your windows...I believe that is basically what the pros use. Otherwise, just dry the heck out of any glass that gets wet and you 'might' eliminate the film. Any water droplets that dry on a shiny surface will look pretty nasty, especially if you have the amount of limestone dust in the air that we have. The vehicles suffer from the dust in the air as well as the 'rocks' in the water.
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Old 10-05-2011, 01:03 PM
 
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Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post
Maybe your softener is set incorrectly.....
Yes, that is possible. However, why is it the dam thing seems overly complicated? I'm intimated by the water softener apparatus.
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Old 10-05-2011, 01:13 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots View Post
Yes, that is possible. However, why is it the dam thing seems overly complicated? I'm intimated by the water softener apparatus.
I can't help with that one...ours runs on autopilot and 'tells' us what it needs. Reminds me, it's been a couple of years since a tech has taken a look at ours. Wouldn't hurt to have a check-up, I reckon.

I'll bet you could find some message boards/tech advice on your particular unit. The manufacturer likely wants a happy customer and might have some trouble-shooting info on their site.
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Old 10-05-2011, 02:04 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,714 posts, read 31,205,294 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots View Post
Yes, that is possible. However, why is it the dam thing seems overly complicated? I'm intimated by the water softener apparatus.
Ours is very simple. Other than filling it with salt periodically, it needs no attention. I had a test done, and it said I needed to set the softener for 25 "grains per gallon."

One of our outside faucets is plumbed for soft water. I use that to wash cars with.
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