# Stopping Limescale

**URL:** <https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [February 18, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172 "2018-02-18T10:15:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kevin\_000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@Kevin\_000](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Kevin_000)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/1 "2018-02-18T10:15:20Z")

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Where I live the water is fairly hard and lime-scale builds up both on my Anova and the pan I mostly use.

It’s no massive problem. I used to just use some de-scaler to clean everything now and then.

Then the penny dropped. I now put a big pinch of ordinary salt into the Sous Vide bath and now I don’t get lime-scale.

Job done.

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**Author:** ![MichaelF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@MichaelF](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/MichaelF)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 11:29am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/2 "2018-02-19T11:29:00Z")

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Good idea! The only question I would have is would the saline environment cause corrosion to the PC?

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**Author:** ![Kevin\_000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@Kevin\_000](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Kevin_000)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/4 "2018-02-19T17:42:51Z")

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Hi  
I’m posting a second reply so it flags up for you.

I have deleted my previous post because this covers the same ground in more detail.

I have now used a loop (powerful magnifying glass) to inspect the submerged parts thoroughly. Including those hidden in the sleeve.

If there were electrolytic corrosion taking place I would expect to find some pitting in the early stages. FWIW Electrolytic corrosion can take place if two dissimilar metals are placed in an electrolyte. Sodium Chloride does make he water into an electrolyte. However a pinch of salt is all that is needed and this makes for a very poor electrolyte.

Stainless steel is fairly resistant to electrolytic corrosion too.

No corrosion observed.

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**Author:** ![princesspea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/princesspea/32/1635_2.png) [@princesspea](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/princesspea)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/5 "2018-02-19T18:58:40Z")

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I use distilled water in my anova bath. no build up what so ever

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Rok](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/dr_rok/32/199_2.png) [@Dr\_Rok](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Dr_Rok)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/6 "2018-02-19T19:41:39Z")

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Do you have a water softener in your house? If so, using only hot water (that’s what’s hooked up to the softener) should substantially cut dow on hard water deposits.

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**Author:** ![MichaelF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@MichaelF](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/MichaelF)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 10:02am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/7 "2018-02-20T10:02:51Z")

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Thanks @Kevin_000!

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**Author:** ![dfwjr1973](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dfwjr1973](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/dfwjr1973)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 10:58am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/8 "2018-02-20T10:58:21Z")

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I find that if I dry the Anova after use with a hand towel the amount of build-up is severly minimized. So, just take out of the water, let cool slightly, and then carefully disassemble (three pieces…the heater and propeller main until, the metal sleeve, and the plastic bottom piece) and dry as much as possible with a towel. Takes only a minute or two.

Also, I found a clean Anove heats the water quite a bit faster than one with a lot of build-up.

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**Author:** ![LoralieF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac91a4/32.png) [@LoralieF](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/LoralieF)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/9 "2018-02-21T00:58:57Z")

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@Kevin_000, someone mentioned putting vinegar in the water; has anyone tried this? I have extremely hard water where I live as well.

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**Author:** ![Maurice\_Stubblefield](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/maurice_stubblefield/32/2298_2.png) [@Maurice\_Stubblefield](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Maurice_Stubblefield)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/10 "2018-02-22T14:26:06Z")

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I use a tall glass of half water and half vinegar. Let it set for 30 min. Then rinse clean. Works great. I clean when the lime builds up enough to see.

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**Author:** ![mafia500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@mafia500](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/mafia500)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/11 "2018-02-24T02:34:50Z")

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I have!

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**Author:** ![LoralieF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac91a4/32.png) [@LoralieF](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/LoralieF)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/12 "2018-02-24T03:11:03Z")

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@Maurice_Stubblefield So after cooking, put the want into the glass with the water / vinegar mixture?

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**Author:** ![Maurice\_Stubblefield](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/maurice_stubblefield/32/2298_2.png) [@Maurice\_Stubblefield](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Maurice_Stubblefield)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 3:51am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/13 "2018-02-24T03:51:15Z")

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Unscrew the bottom case then put the unit in the water. Rinse then let it dry and reassemble. Don’t the electronics wet. Just the bottom.

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**Author:** ![Kwanha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kwanha](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Kwanha)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/14 "2018-02-24T20:14:27Z")

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Did you try plain white vinegar? It works wonders

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**Author:** ![Kevin\_000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@Kevin\_000](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Kevin_000)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:12am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/15 "2018-02-25T09:12:22Z")

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Previously I was using a professional descaling fluid. Which like vinegar is a mild acid. (But any des-scaler works).

O had a sprayer filled with it and did a couple of squirts and a quick brush down over the sink. It was very efficient.

The salt stops most of the problem in the first place.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin\_000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@Kevin\_000](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Kevin_000)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:14am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/16 "2018-02-25T09:14:04Z")

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I’m not sure if I do have a softener on the hot water circuit. Thanks - I will check.

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Rok](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/dr_rok/32/199_2.png) [@Dr\_Rok](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Dr_Rok)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/17 "2018-03-04T22:04:11Z")

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If your not lugging 40 lb bags of salt to your softener, you don’t have one. 😉

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**Author:** ![davidSATX](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/davidsatx/32/2122_2.png) [@davidSATX](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/davidSATX)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/stopping-limescale/13172/18 "2018-03-09T17:30:39Z")

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I have very hard water as well. I use the half vinegar half water method to clean my APC when I see build up except I use a 1 gallon pitcher and run the APC at 140f for 20 minuets. I also remover the air raters from my faucets and through them in the pitcher to clean the build up from them.

> **[How do I clean my Anova Precision® Cooker?](https://support.anovaculinary.com/hc/en-us/articles/204567914-How-do-I-clean-my-cooker-#vinegar_bath)**
>
> There are several ways to clean your Anova Precision® Cooker, but here are the top four. Cleaning is relatively simple and straightforward so choose whatever is easiest for you or best addresses yo...
