Distilled water machines are widely used to produce extremely pure water that is free of minerals, impurities, and contaminants. However, with each of these distillation cycles, minerals from the water form inside the machine, making scale or a chalky build-up that affects performance and water purity. Thus, routine descaling is much needed to keep your machine functioning properly and to ensure that it produces high-quality distilled water.
This blog will help you understand the process of descaling your water machine, allowing you to easily remove the build-up and maintain your machine for a long time. Follow our additional steps to keep your distilled water machine in the best condition!
Understanding Scale and Why Descaling is Important
Before understanding the descaling process, it’s necessary to understand why this scaling occurs and why users should remove it. Tap water features dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium, and other elements, and the machine converts the water into steam. Over time, these minerals solidify, causing the scale to form up on the machine’s heating part, boiling chamber, and other parts.
This build-up is harmful to your machine as it can let its efficiency die down and give you less purified water, thus removing the whole point of having a water distillation machine. To avoid this and to preserve your own health, ensure that you follow the following steps and reasoning to formulate a cleaning ritual with the machine every 1-2 weeks.
Why You Need to Descale Regularly:
Scale is an insulator, directly restricting the machine’s ability to heat water properly. Purifying the water into steam requires more time and energy.
Scale build-up can also cause some minerals to leach the impurities back in the distilled water, reducing the purity.
Regular descaling reduces wear and tear on the machine, preventing costly repairs and prolonging its lifespan.
Also, make sure to clean to protect yourself and your family from drinking harmful and intoxicated water (which will lead to several medical issues that will not be desirable).
Essential Supplies for Descaling
Natural and non-toxic cleaners or descalers that dissolve scale-like white vinegar and citric acid.
Baking soda to neutralize the vinegar when needed and to scrub away the deposits.
Distilled water to rinse out and finally clean the machine to prevent newer minerals in the machine.
A soft brush or sponge is used to gently scrub the boiling chamber.
With this, make a list of other personalized things you may need to perform this activity.
Step-by-Step Descaling Process for Your Distilled Water Machine
Step 1: Prepare the Machine for Cleaning
Unplug your machine from its power source first. Make sure to double-check this step to ensure primary safety.
Let the machine completely cool down before cleaning it to avoid burns, and make sure that vinegar or citric acid doesn’t evaporate while cleaning.
Pour the remaining water into the machine before starting the cleaning process.
Step 2: Mix Your Descaling Solution
Depending on your choice of descaling agent, you can use either white vinegar or citric acid, both of which are effective at dissolving mineral deposits.
White Vinegar Solution: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. For instance, if your water chamber holds 1 liter, use 500 ml of vinegar and 500 ml of water.
Citric Acid Solution: Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of warm water. Citric acid is potent for mineral build-up and often leaves less odor than vinegar.
Step 3: Add the Descaling Solution to the Machine
Pour the descaling solution into the boiling chamber until the area it is in gets covered.\
Plug the machine and start a distillation cycle for 6-10 minutes, heating the solution and letting the mineral deposits get worked upon.
Turn off the machine after a few minutes of heating and allow the solution to sit in the boiling chamber for 30 minutes to an hour. This soaking time allows the vinegar or citric acid to dissolve the scale effectively.
Step 4: Scrub Away Remaining Build-Up
After the soaking, use a soft brush or sponge to gently scrub inside the boiling chamber. Focus on the areas that are visible with scale.
Never ever use steel wood or stiff brushes , as they can scratch or damage the interior, especially if it has a non-stick coating.
Step 5: Rinse Thoroughly
Pour the descaling solutions and the loosened scale.
To remove any remaining vinegar or citric acid, rinse the chamber several times with distilled water. This helps to prevent adding new minerals back into the machine.
Use a gentle cloth to wipe down the boiling chamber, making sure that no chemical residue is left behind.
Cleaning the Exterior and Other Parts
While descaling primarily targets the boiling chamber, cleaning other parts of the machine is also beneficial for maintenance, such as:
Ensure that you regularly clean the lid and collection container by rinsing them with a vinegar and water solution to remove any scale or bacteria build-up. Then, rinse them out with normal distilled water.
Wipe down the machine’s exterior with a wet cloth to remove dust or spills and enhance its appearance.
Reassembling and Final Rinse
After cleaning, reassemble the machine and do a final rinse:
Make sure that all parts are properly attached after the cleaning process is done.
Fill the chamber with the distilled water and run a full cycle to rinse out the machine.
After this, check out the machine for any signs of scale or impurities, thus allowing you to change your approach when required.
Preventing Scale Build-Up: Maintenance Tips for Your Distilled Water Machine
Even though scaling is a natural process, it shouldn’t occur a lot, or the machine’s ability gets tarnished. To minimize this need for descaling and to give your machine longevity, try to follow the following tips to maintain your machine:
Make sure to constantly clean your machine every 1-2 weeks to prevent an extreme case of any build-up. If you notice any scale during these, be confident in performing the descaling needed to avoid any more deposits.
After every cycle of cleaning, routinely clean out your machine with only distilled water to keep it protected.
Try to avoid leaving any water in the machine after the distillation, as it can evaporate and cause scale if it is not distilled.
When not in use, store your machine in a dry place to prevent mold and bacterial growth.
If you get a supply of hard water, consider using a descaling solution more regularly to avoid a similar build-up and to keep your machine from failing to distill water.
Benefits of Regular Descaling and Maintenance
Some of the key benefits that descaling has are:
A clean machine heats up faster and uses less energy, which can reduce utility costs over time.
Descaling also helps to prevent any corrosion and other damage to the water distillation machine, including shortening its lifespan.
Removing the build-up makes sure that the distilled water is as pure and non-toxic as possible.
Consistent efforts to maintain it properly also reduce the possibility of any breakdowns, saving money on repairs, early replacements, or deep cleaning.
Conclusion
Descaling your distilled water machine is a straightforward but essential task that ensures consistent performance and longevity. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can remove mineral build-up, improve distillation efficiency, and maintain water purity with ease. Regular descaling, routine cleaning, and proper maintenance will help you enjoy the benefits of pure, distilled water for years to come.
Keep in mind that adopting a regular descaling schedule and choosing the right, machine-safe descaling agents are the best ways to protect your investment. With the proper care, your distilled water machine will continue providing high-quality water for all your needs.
