# Descaling Questions Anova Oven **URL:** \ **Category:** Anova Precision® Oven\ **Tags:** support\ **Created:** [May 10, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742 "2021-05-10T14:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oldguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@oldguy](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/oldguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/1 "2021-05-10T14:26:20Z")
I am wondering …Does the Descaling light go on because of a count down steam Hour Use or Is it some how actually using some type of Calcium detector? The reason I ask, if one only uses Distilled Water is Descaling Necessary. Thanks for all Replies ---
**Author:** ![PeterDurand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@PeterDurand](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/PeterDurand)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/2 "2021-05-18T15:10:08Z")
I also am curious about that because I have always used distilled water. Cheers, Peter (old guy also) ---
**Author:** ![colewagoner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/colewagoner/32/48_2.png) [@colewagoner](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/colewagoner)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/3 "2021-05-19T18:35:54Z")
Descaling is triggered after a certain number of hours of the boiler running. ---
**Author:** ![oldguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@oldguy](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/oldguy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/4 "2021-05-20T15:22:20Z")
Thanks Colewagoner…can you make a comment about the necessity of descaling if only distilled water is used? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![colewagoner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/colewagoner/32/48_2.png) [@colewagoner](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/colewagoner)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/5 "2021-05-24T21:04:32Z")
We recommend descaling as the oven requests regardless of type of water used ---
**Author:** ![chehrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@chehrob](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/chehrob)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/6 "2021-06-24T15:56:07Z")
1. Amazon has a variety of descalers and at different prices. Will any of them work? 2. as opposed to time, is there a recommendation as to amount of distilled water used, i.e., every gallon, every 2 etc? ---
**Author:** ![PeterDurand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@PeterDurand](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/PeterDurand)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/7 "2021-07-28T14:50:42Z")
What is there to descale if only using distilled water? I would really like to know that. I have only used one and a half container of distilled water and the descale light appeared. How do I get rid of that light without having to go through the descaling procedure every time I use 1 1/2 containers of distilled water. Cheers, Peter ---
**Author:** ![anovaculinary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/anovaculinary/32/7315_2.png) [@anovaculinary](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/anovaculinary)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/8 "2021-07-28T16:34:30Z")
Hi Peter! We do recommend running a descale cycle when the APO calls for it, even when using distilled. There should be no scale, but the process will ensure the longest life for your Oven! ---
**Author:** ![PeterDurand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@PeterDurand](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/PeterDurand)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/9 "2021-07-28T17:29:25Z")
Well that was a reply, but certainly not an answer to my questions. Cheers, Peter ---
**Author:** ![anovaculinary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/anovaculinary/32/7315_2.png) [@anovaculinary](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/anovaculinary)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/10 "2021-07-28T19:48:00Z")
The only way to remove the descale light is to run the descale process! The descale process prompts after 30 hours of the boiler running at full capacity. Using the oven daily, this should not happen very frequently at all so we recommend running the program when the oven calls for it, even if you are using distilled water. ---
**Author:** ![PeterDurand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@PeterDurand](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/PeterDurand)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 2:16am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/11 "2021-07-29T02:16:29Z")
Thank you. I assume that the programmers thought that a great majority of users would not use distilled water. And they were more than likely correct. However I continue to ask what is there to descale when using distilled water. What would happen if I do the descale function but not having to use a “descale” solution. It appears that this is a solution for a problem that does not exist when using distilled water exclusively. Thanks for the prompt replies. Cheers, Peter ---
**Author:** ![SarLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@SarLee](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/SarLee)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:04am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/12 "2021-07-29T05:04:58Z")
Shalom, I have the same thoughts and questions. I have only used Distilled water, about 4 gal. now. I am getting the descale message. My science understanding is WHY, Descale WHAT. Shalom, LEE ---
**Author:** ![anovaculinary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/anovaculinary/32/7315_2.png) [@anovaculinary](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/anovaculinary)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/13 "2021-07-29T17:06:42Z")
There will likely be nothing to descale, but we still recommend running the process as outlined when the device calls for it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![anovaculinary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/anovaculinary/32/7315_2.png) [@anovaculinary](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/anovaculinary)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/14 "2021-07-29T17:06:58Z")
There will likely be nothing to descale, but we still recommend running the process as outlined when the device calls for it. ---
**Author:** ![tonydav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/258eb7/32.png) [@tonydav](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/tonydav)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/15 "2022-01-05T23:27:53Z")
Interesting thread which follows my exact thinking. Initially when I received the oven I was super keen to get started so simply used filtered water. Then needed to descale. The solution I used was quite expensive so decided to use distilled water (which in Oz is about $1/L so not terribly cheap). Then received the descale message again and investigated finding out that the warning had nothing to do with an actual need to descale - simply a use thing. I’ve now decided to go back to my filtered water as I’ll still need to descale. We have tank water, quad-filtered and not hard. In terms of descaling I was intending to use citric acid 3 out of 4 times and a commercial product the fourth time. I’ve got 2 APO units and as the citric acid is quite reasonably priced this will be a major saving over the commercial product at our supermarket (about $8 each time). ---
**Author:** ![SarLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@SarLee](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/SarLee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/16 "2022-01-06T00:59:56Z")
TY ---
**Author:** ![eat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@eat](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/eat)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/17 "2022-01-06T13:26:01Z")
I understand, you should descale no matter what, and you should use distilled water. How about RO water? My tab water is already very soft, AND I still use only RO water. Is there anything negative about RO water? ---
**Author:** ![palo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@palo](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/palo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/18 "2022-01-06T15:27:33Z")
What is RO water? p ---
**Author:** ![tonydav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/258eb7/32.png) [@tonydav](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/tonydav)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/19 "2022-01-06T23:22:12Z")
I’m guessing Reverse Osmosis water??? ---
**Author:** ![eat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@eat](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/eat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742/20 "2022-01-07T00:28:25Z")
Correct, reverse osmosis. I guess that is close to distilled water. In fact, I believe most distilled water is reverse osmosis. Question is maybe a bit pointless because the scale warning is based on usage and not on scale. But I wonder if any RO water users had any scale issues ever? [Next page](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/descaling-questions-anova-oven/28742.md?page=2)