How does Lotus Clean work with the different water hardnesses?
Answer:
In general, Lotus Clean works well regardless of hard the water is. However, there are a few points to be noted:
Over long periods of time, Lotus Clean Basic makes the water very soft. It removes the substances which create hardness in water.
In the short term, despite using Lotus Clean, limescale deposits may form in the whirlpool.
Certain hardness-forming minerals in the water can lead to musty smells.
What is water hardness and what effect does it have?
All water contains substances which may create hardness. These are mineral substances which are dissolved in water in the form of ions. The two most important of these are calcium ions and magnesium ions, but there are many other hardness-forming elements in water. It depends on where the water comes from.
The more hardness-forming elements are in the water, the harder the water will be.
At normal water temperature and at pH 7, these elements remain dissolved in the water, but they start to change as soon as the water temperature increases and the pH value climbs to over pH 8.5. They are transformed into insoluble lime or soap scum. These accumulate as a rough deposit on the surface of the whirlpool.
How hard should the water be?
The ideal water hardness is about 100 ppm. This can be measured with our test strips.
What should I do if the water is too hard?
If the water is too hard, you should add our Lotus Clean Calc Down Pads to your whirlpool. They contain salts and replace hardeners with sodium ions. The pads can be reused several times. (You will already know the principle from your dishwasher. Salt is added to reduce the hardness of the water.)
I also recommend the use of Lotus Clean Calcium Ex. This is a completely harmless substance which binds hardness-forming minerals in such a way that they can no longer be converted into limescale.
What should I do when limescale has already formed?
If a rough layer has already formed on the surface of the whirlpool, you should lower the pH value of the water to 5.0 for about 2 days, which makes the water acidic. Acidic water has a natural tendency to become neutral again by absorbing alkaline minerals, thus making the rough limescale deposits completely disappear. Afterwards, readjust the pH to 7.0 and add Lotus Clean Calcium Ex to the water to prevent limesscale forming again.
Didn't you write before that Lotus Clean makes the water soft?
Yes, that is correct. Lotus Clean Basic encapsulates hardeners so they can be filtered out - but that is a slower process. Especially at the beginning, there are too many hardeners in the water, and Lotus Clean is overloaded.
In the long term, Lotus Clean Basic will remove all excess hardening substances, protecting your heater against limescale deposits and the resulting damage (limescale deposits stop the heat from dissipating and the heating element burns out). Limescale forms especially quickly on warm heating elements.
Lotus Clean also prevents the formation of unsightly hard-to-clean rings of lime/fat just above the water line.
Can the hardness-forming minerals create musty smelling water?
Yes, they can. Lotus Clean Basic encapsulates these hardeners, but if they are not thoroughly filtered out, they can start to decay. For example, decaying calcium can smell mouldy. If you have musty-smelling water, you should increase the filter run time to at least 6 hours a day and cleanse the filter very frequently and thoroughly with a filter cleaner. It is also recommended to add Lotus Clean Calcium Ex to the water.