Tackling Limescale

Have you noticed chalky marks on your shower head, or a flaky gritty residue in your kettle? If you have then you have limescale. Unfortunately this is one of the downsides of living in a hard water area and left alone can build up in your dishwasher, washing machine, kettle and pipes. 

Over time this can potentially damage your appliances, which will cause them to run less effectively. The build up on your shower head can lead to the holes in the head closing up, and will give your taps an unsightly chalky residue that's hard to remove.

So how can you prevent and remove limescale?

You can buy products to prevent limescale, such as Magnoballs for your washing machine and dishwasher, and Magnoloo for your toilet. These are cost effective, environmentally friendly solutions that last 5 – 10 years and can prevent the build up of limescale. You can also buy shower heads that have a built in system to prevent the build up of limescale.

But what if you already have a limescale problem? There are various chemical based products on the market that can help with the removal of limescale, but there are also home made solutions that can also tackle the problem.

Lemon and vinegar are both great for removing limescale. In a kettle, fill a quarter of the way with lemon or vinegar and leave for an hour or so. Top up the kettle with water and boil the water. Once boiled, pour the water away (while hot). Make sure you rinse the kettle before using it, you don't want your tea to taste of vinegar!

Lemon and vinegar are just as effective for removing limescale in your washing machine and dishwasher. Simply pour in a cup of either vinegar or lemon where you would put detergent in the washing machine, or pour a cup in the bottom of your dishwasher. Run both on a normal cycle – the limesale should dissolve. If you find that it hasn't removed all of the scale simply run another cycle with another cup of your chosen liquid.


If you have limescale buildup in your toilet then grab a bottle of Coke! Pour the Coke over the limescale in the toilet – half a bottle should do the trick. The coke will dissolve the limescale over night. Simply flush the following morning and use a toilet brush to scrub away any stubborn marks.

Pipes blocked with limescale is a much bigger problem and harder to remove with home made remedies. If you think your pipes are blocked with limescale contact Maintracts for advice and a free quote.

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Kettle image by Michal Zacharzewski
Lemon image by Aureliy Movila

Maintracts are Going Social

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How to Unblock a Sink

Are you getting an eggy smell from your sink, finding that it's not draining quick enough, or even at all? These can be signs of a serious plumbing problem, but it can also be a small issue which can quickly be resolved with one of these DIY solutions.

A plunger:

• Run some warm water in the sink
• Place the plunger over the sink hole – make sure nothing is preventing it from sitting flush against the sink
• If you have any exposed holes in the sink make sure they are covered with a wet cloth
• Using an up and down motion, move the plunger to suck out what's stuck inside the pipe
• Force from the plunger should dislodge any small blockage. If it is clear the warm water will drain away

Baking soda and salt:

• Remove any water that's in the sink
• Mix 1 cup of baking soda and ½ cup of salt
• Pour the mixture down the drain. You can use a spatula or knife to force the mixture down the drain
• Let the mixture sit for a minimum of 2 – 3 hours, ideally overnight
• Once it has been left to do it's magic, pour boiling water down the sink

Baking soda and vinegar:

• Pour ½ a cup of baking soda down the drain
• Pour ½ cup of white vinegar down the drain – do not mix the two beforehand, they react very quickly and you won't have a chance to get it to the sink quick enough!
• The mixture should take effect quite quickly; make sure that you follow with boiling water to flush out the blockage
• You may need to repeat this process a few times until the blockage is clear

If you have tried all the above suggestions and your sink is still blocked then call a plumber. Maintracts are available 24/7 – if you have a blocked drain get in touch.

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Image by Thiago Felipe Festa

Electrical Safety First Launches

Electrical Safety Council has relaunched as Electrical Safety First.  

Launched in late March, Electrical Safety First aims to educate consumers in electrical safety and campaign for better awareness.

The charity offers a variety of services, including an electrical appliance recall service. It's always worth checking on a regular basis to see if any of your appliances have been recalled to avoid expensive or fatal incidents. Watch this video to learn about  the dangers of owning a faulty appliance.



If you would like to find out more about Electrical Safety First then please visit their website.
If you  are in need to a periodic electrical check then please contact Maintracts.

More like this:
How often should your electrical appliances be inspected?
Landlord responsibilities

Gas Safety Week 2014 - We've Made our Pledge

Twenty three million households in the UK, Isle of Man and Guernsey use gas to heat their homes and cook their food*. But while millions use gas to power their homes, how many are aware of the dangers that could put them risk?

Gas Safety Week 2014 will raise awareness of gas safety and we've made a pledge to be part of this years vital campaign. We'll be joining the industries top retailers, manufacturers and consumer bodies to raise awareness of the dangers of gas in the home.

Gas Safe Register estimate that there are around 7,500 illegal gas fitters operating across the UK and up to 250,00 illegal gas jobs may be carried out each year** putting you and your family at great risk from poisonous gasses and potentially fatal incidents. We want to combat the illegal fitters and ensure that no home is at risk.

This years Gas Safety Week will take place 15th - 21st September and we'll be releasing a series of guides on gas safety awareness, as well as teaching our customers how to be gas aware.

If you would like to find out more about Gas Safety Week visit www.gassafetyweek.co.uk.

More like this:
Have you had your annual gas check?
Installing a new gas appliance

* Source - Gas Safety Register

** Source - Gas Safe Register Research 2009

How often Should your Electrical Appliances be Inspected?

All electrical appliances and installations deteriorate over time, so it’s wise to have them inspected to ensure that they are safe to avoid potentially fatal incidents. These checks are known as ‘periodic inspection and testing’.

An inspection will:

• Show if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded
• Look for potential fire hazards
• Look for potential electric shocks
• Identify faulty electrical work
• Point out lack of earthing or bonding
• Test wiring and fixed electrical equipment

How often you should have a periodic inspection varies depending on the property:

• 10 years for an owner-occupied home.
• 5 years for a rented home.
• 3 years for a caravan

Landlords should carry our an inspection every time new tenants are move in. They should also be carried out if you are selling or buying a property.

Who should carry out the periodic inspection?

Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out by a registered electrician. They will check against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 - Requirements for Electrical Installations (IEE Wiring Regulations).

When your inspection is complete, you will be issued with an Electrical Installation Condition Report, which will detail and observe any damage, defects, dangerous conditions, deterioration and any non-compliances with present day safety standard.

If anything is deemed dangerous the installation will be declared ‘unsatisfactory’, which means immediate action needs to be taken to remove any risks.

For more advice on electrical safety visit The Electrical Safety Council

Get in touch if  your are you in need of periodic inspection and testing.

Installing a New Gas Appliance

There will come a time when your gas appliances needs replacing, but knowing what to do and where to go can be confusing. Can you install it yourself? Where can you find an engineer? How do you know they are qualified?

Follow these simple steps to ensure safe installation and peace of mind.

• Do not try to install a gas appliance yourself - always hire a gas safe registered engineer to install it for you. All Maintracts engineers are Gas Safe Registered
• For further peace of mind, ask for a customer reference
• Always ask for a quotation. This should include a description of the work, materials used, the appliance (make and model) and the location of the appliance. Make sure your quotation is in writing
• Before your engineer carries out the work, make sure they are carrying their Gas Safe Register ID Card
• Once work has been completed make sure that any forms that need to be completed or signed off have been returned to you (if you are a landlord you will need to prove to your tenants that the appliance has been installed/serviced). This also goes for any warranty registrations
• Once the appliance has been installed (excluding flueless cookers) your engineer must notify your Local Authority
• Remember that all gas appliances must be serviced once a year

If you would like to obtain a quote from a Gas Safe Registered engineer then please get in touch.

Image by Julian Spencer