[Greenbuilding] Tankless HW and hard water

[Keith Winston]

Ah, you raise a terminological point, I think. Mineral deposits can 
occur at any temperature, I'm sure.

I'd meant to say scale. I don't know chemically exactly what that is 
(and no time for a quick research project!) but I was told once by 
someone who ought to know (a very experienced solar system designer) 
that scale deposits don't happen under about 160F. I don't have 
independent verification of this yet.

Certainly stalagmites and stalactites are formed of lime deposits in 
cool conditions! Albeit rather slowly...

Keith


Maren Leyla Cooke wrote:
>> Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:43:26 -0400
>> From: Keith Winston <keith at earthsunenergy.com>
>>
>> It's not obvious to me why this would be so. Anyone care to share
>> thoughts? Lime formation won't tend to happen below, I think, about
>> 160F. But surely in a tankless there are hot spots that exceed that?
>> Maybe that's the answer right there? Or perhaps it doesn't form well in
>> a stainless steel environment...
>>
>>     
> Hmm.  160F?  My cat's water dish built up lime.  Probably slower than 
> the teakettle, but still there was definitely a mineral deposit there, 
> and neither water nor dish ever got over, say, 85F (room temperature in 
> an old farmhouse on a hot summer day).  The water there (well water 
> outside of Ithaca, NY) was particularly hard;  probably the hardest 
> I've lived with.
>
> -- Maren.
>
>
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-- 
Keith Winston
Earth Sun Energy Systems
3927 Madison St.
Hyattsville, MD 20781
301-980-6325
keith at earthsunenergy.com
www.EarthSunEnergy.com