The Water Pressure in My Shower Has Dropped Over Time Due to Lime Deposits

Lime deposits can block the holes in a showerhead.

A hot shower under a strong spray of water may be one of life’s simple pleasures. If lime deposits have reduced your shower’s strength to a sad trickle, then it is time to take action. Removing the lime deposits will restore your shower to its former power.

Lime Deposits

If your home has hard water, then you deal with lime and other mineral deposits showing up in your shower and sink faucets. Lime, calcium and magnesium are naturally found in your water supply. As water evaporates off a showerhead, it leaves behind a tiny amount of lime. Over time, the lime scale builds up until the deposits are large enough to restrict or block the water holes in the showerhead. This reduces the outflow and makes it seems as though the shower has lost water pressure.

Removable Showerhead

If you can unscrew the showerhead, remove it from the water supply pipe. Try brushing the lime deposits away by hand or with a stiff brush. If they don’t move, you need distilled white vinegar and a bowl. Pour enough vinegar into the bowl to cover the face of the showerhead where all the lime deposits are. Place the showerhead in the bowl and leave it over night. In the morning, use a brush to remove any lingering deposits, then put the showerhead back in place.

None-removable Showerhead

If you can’t remove the showerhead, you need a strong plastic bag, such as a freezer bag for storing food. Fill it with enough vinegar to cover the face of the showerhead, then put the bag up around the showerhead. Tie it in place with twine. In the morning, remove the bag, rinse off the showerhead with a cup of water and scrub off any visible deposits with a brush.

Considerations

As soon as you remove the lime deposits, your shower’s water pressure should return to normal strength. The lime deposits also begin building again. You can prevent this by installing a water softener on your home’s water supply; it reduces levels of lime, calcium and other problem minerals. If this isn’t an option, keep an eye on the showerhead and use the vinegar to clean away deposits before they get thick enough to affect water pressure.

References

• 2,001 Amazing Cleaning Secrets; Jeff Bredenberg