# De-Scaling your boiler!!



## THEPOET (May 1, 2007)

My question applies not only to my M/H (97 Hymer B574) but to I would imagine all M/H's and not only in hard water areas.

Do you/how do you descale your boiler? and if so how often and what with?

A friend uses vinegar but that requires a lot of flushing through, and he has the time to do it (Retired!)

My boiler, a truma combi is starting to take quite a while to heat the water.


----------



## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

Doing a search of the archives may throw some light on this. ISTR but stand to be corrected that scale does'nt form at the temperatures concerned.

<Prepares for crash sequence after being shot down> 

D.


----------



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

*Do you/how do you descale your boiler? and if so how often and what with?

A friend uses vinegar but that requires a lot of flushing through, and he has the time to do it (Retired!)*

My old boiler manages with Fairy soap, once a day seem to work for her!.. :lol: ..


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

:lol: :lol: :lol: 
Th old gal is obviously not at your side Ray.


Sulphamic acid Slow but does the job.
Alternative is Citric acid, a bit slower.

DAve p


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Descaling*

Hi

This is what I do once every 3 months or so - noting the boiler is in daily use.

1) Drain the fresh water tank. 
2) Switch off the water pump
3) Drain the boiler. 
4) Put a two gallons of cheap white vinegar in the fresh tank, adding about a gallon of water
5) Switch on the pump and open the hot tap to pump the vinegar solution into the boiler. 
6) When the boiler is full, drain the fresh tank and rinse out. 
7) Leave the boiler full of vinegar solution overnight. 
8) Open the dump valve and release the vinegar solution from the boiler. 
9) Rinse out the boiler by opening the hot tap and allowing fresh water into the boiler.

Russell

It would be far easier if there was a little filler cap to allow filling of the boiler from a watering can rather than relying on the fresh water tank.


----------



## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

Just to add to the confusion, the following is quoted from my Hymer manual (2004 model-year version).
"Do not use vinegar-based products for decalcifying the water installation. Vinegar-based products may cause damage to seals or parts of the installation. Use standard decalcifying products for decalcification."

However, the Truma manual says: "Use wine vinegar for descaling the water heater."

I guess Hymer are concerned that rubber / plastic seals and other bits may be damaged by the vinegar. Just how you can get wine vinegar into the Truma without putting it into the fresh tank escapes me!
Perhaps you had better play safe and use a commercial descaler, but then I thought most of those were based on citric acid. Maybe it is not so strong as vinegar.

If you live in a hard water area, I am prompted to ask whether you have a domestic water softener in the house. I have just replaced mine with a newer model and have fitted an external 'soft' tap at the same time from which to fill the Hymer's fresh tank.

Philip


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I descaled my trume combi several months ago using white wine vinegar as per truma's recommendation.

See here http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-17594-white.html+wine+vinegar for details.

The tank and boiler only needed one flush, anyway white wine vinegar is harmless although it does make the milk curdle on ya cornflakes :wink:

Absolutely no come-backs ref seale etc.

We live in a very hard water area (South Downs) and the boiler is still as efficient as when new.


----------



## THEPOET (May 1, 2007)

Thanks peeps, seems I will try the white wine vinegar route. My friend I think, uncouples a hose from the boiler and pours the vinegar that way, but my instalation is too cramped for that so will try the water tank method.

Once this cold spell finnishes....(global warming MY Ar&e!).

Thanks all


----------

