Descaling agent

A descaling agent, also known as descaling, anti-limestone, anti-limescale, anti-lime, or anti-scale, is a solution to remove limescale, e.g. from water taps, kettles, toilets and water pipes. Descaling agents usually contain an acid as the active ingredient. They are available in liquid form, e.g. aqueous solutions of acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, sorbic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfamic acid or in solid form, e.g. sodium bisulfate powder.

Descalers do not necessarily need to be acidic (although many are). Often the mechanism of descaling is done via chelation. Descalants of this sort can be the most powerful. Phosphonates in particular are well known scale inhibitors.

See also

* Water softener
* Magnetic water treatment

References