Cleaning off mineral deposits

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dmaceld

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About a 1 1/2 years ago I installed a Nuvo water softener. I seems to be working pretty good. My home hard water test kit showed a hardness less than 2, but mineral deposits were still forming on the shower fixtures and in the toilet. Hence the decision to go with the Nuvo rather than the usual softener system.

Since you're probably already thinking this I'll respond proactively. The Nuvo technically is not a softener. It uses the chemical process called chelation. The mineral molecules are wrapped in whatever the specific chemical is in the Nuvo cartridge, some sort of citric acid compound. This same chemical process is used to extract bad stuff out of a human's blood so it is not voodoo science, like magnets!!! The mineral molecules remain suspended in the water and pass through into the drain.

Anyway, there was a fair amount of deposit built up from the 2 to 3 years before I installed the Nuvo. I'm still trying to get it cleaned off. Ordinary cleaners, including toilet bowl cleaners, haven't worked. Any suggestions? Diluted muriatic acid does not readily clean off the deposits and I unfortunately learned too late that it turns chrome dark. I just now learned here on the forum that I should not use acid in my Toto toilets. So how do I get the deposits out of them, and the Toto vanities? I'm already going to have to replace the drain in one vanity because I tried toilet bowl cleaner on it. Ate the chrome right off.

Help me out, please, if you can! A search on the forums here came up empty.
 

dmaceld

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It's been over a year and no responses so thought I would see if I can revive this question.
 

Reach4

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About a 1 1/2 years ago I installed a Nuvo water softener. I seems to be working pretty good. My home hard water test kit showed a hardness less than 2, but mineral deposits were still forming on the shower fixtures and in the toilet. Hence the decision to go with the Nuvo rather than the usual softener system.
I suspect your hardness test was not working well. Consider the Hach 5B kit.
Since you're probably already thinking this I'll respond proactively. The Nuvo technically is not a softener. It uses the chemical process called chelation. The mineral molecules are wrapped in whatever the specific chemical is in the Nuvo cartridge, some sort of citric acid compound. This same chemical process is used to extract bad stuff out of a human's blood so it is not voodoo science, like magnets!!! The mineral molecules remain suspended in the water and pass through into the drain.
I am skeptical that you got significant mineral deposits from water with under 2 grains of hardness.
Anyway, there was a fair amount of deposit built up from the 2 to 3 years before I installed the Nuvo. I'm still trying to get it cleaned off. Ordinary cleaners, including toilet bowl cleaners, haven't worked. Any suggestions? Diluted muriatic acid does not readily clean off the deposits and I unfortunately learned too late that it turns chrome dark. I just now learned here on the forum that I should not use acid in my Toto toilets.
What post said that?
So how do I get the deposits out of them, and the Toto vanities? I'm already going to have to replace the drain in one vanity because I tried toilet bowl cleaner on it. Ate the chrome right off.

Help me out, please, if you can! A search on the forums here came up empty.

I like phosphoric acid as an acid for deposits. It does not have the terrible fumes of muriatic. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-gal-Phosphoric-Prep-and-Etch-GKPA30220/100406369 Drain the bowl mostly, and lay TP up the sides of the bowl to wick that acid up to the encrusted areas overnight. Phosphoric acid gives no fumes. I like a pumice stick for the waterline tough part. If you use muriatic, I would not dilute it. Bowl only. Close the lid, and stay out of that bathroom. If you are on septic, I would avoid those acids.

Have you considered new toilets? Seriously. The deposits bother you. Could you use a performance upgrade while getting rid of all old deposits?
 
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