How Do I Remove Calcium From My Garden Hose?

Your lawn, car, and other tools usually need a shower for a clean and neat look for better performance. Besides, you may need to constantly water your plant – the garden hose can do all these. It is one of the most vital tools, especially for seasoned gardeners. So, it is important to have a garden hose that is working properly; else, you may have to purchase a hose often.

However, a high concentration of calcium in your water can be a problem for your garden hose. Garden hoses have metal connectors on each end, which its user to attach to a nozzle or spigot. When you stay in a place with hard water, calcium can accumulate on metal connectors and, in time, makes it difficult to install/unscrew the hose from its attachment, and in some cases, slows your water stream. So, what causes calcium buildup on your garden hose, and how do you remove it? You will find everything you need to know in this post.

Why Is There Calcium Buildup on The Garden Hose?

Calcium buildup is a result of water that contains dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium moving through your house pipes and flowing through your garden hose for usage in your garden. Water with a high level of calcium and other hard minerals is known as hard water. And this can make whatever you are washing to look dirty, and some may be harmful to your plant.

MUST READ: How to Clean a Sticky Hose

MUST READ: Why Does Garden Hose Water Taste So Good?

Over 85 percent of the United States has hard water, which causes scale and takes away the beauty of anything it touches. The accumulation of calcium looks crusty and white, accumulating inside the garden hose and attaching itself to things like car and windows when washing with the garden hose. For instance, water from a garden hose can create spots on concrete surfaces such as walkways, driveways, pool decks, patios, and even worsen the condition.

The issue of all the powdery like spots on your car, deck, etc. is usually caused by hard water sitting on a surface until the water evaporates, leaving behind all of the calcium and other hard minerals. Over time the calcium builds up, and it becomes very difficult to remove and clean.

How to Loosen A Calcified Garden Hose Connection?

Garden hoses that are connected have connectors that get stuck over time due to the accumulation of calcium and other factors. To loosen the calcified garden hose connection, you can start by using 2 pipe wrenches (Available on Amazon) to grip both ends of the garden hose at the couplers. Pipe wrenches are devised to securely hold metal pipe, which is why this tool is ideal for this situation.

Fasten the nut so that the wrench can securely holds the end. Then try to move the wrench in the opposite direction, with the connector inner ring moving towards the left and the outer ring going toward the left.

Then, pour a boiled water on the ring outside to loosen the hose. This hot water will expand the outer ring metal so as to loosen the hose ends. Hold the expanded garden hose ends with the pipe wrenches and gently loosen it.

You can also spray lubricant like WD-40 into the space of the calcified hose connection and valve. The lubricants come with a thin adapter to the spray nozzle, and you can use this to target the substance into this area. Allow the lubricant to soak the deposits for about ten minutes, then loosen with wrenches. Repeat this process if the first application isn’t successful.

How to Remove Calcium from Your Garden Hose?

If you are looking for the perfect way to remove calcium from your garden hose, follow the instruction below, and you will be good to go.

Step 1: Pick a cleaning solution

When it comes to battling mineral deposits, acidic liquids can be your best bet. The acid eats away calcium that accumulates on the garden hose metal connectors. Here are some of the acidic household cleaners and items that you can use to remove calcium deposits from your garden hose connector.

  • Lemon juice
  • Sulfuric acid
  • White vinegar
  • Phosphoric acid cleaners
  • CLR cleaner
  • Muriatic acid – mix one-part muriatic acid with five parts of water

Note: Muriatic acid is very strong, so only use it for tough deposits and make sure you are doing to cleaning in a well-ventilated room.

Step 2: Gather the necessary materials

Before you start the process of removing calcium from your garden hose, some of the other materials you want to have in place include:

  • Toothbrush/sponge (use non-abrasive sponges/scrubbers)
  • Gloves (preferably neoprene or PVC gloves)
  • Protective eyewear
  • Rubberband
  • Plastic bag
  • Pliers
  • Rug/towel

Step 3: Remove the garden hose metal connectors

If you want to clean out the inside of your garden hose connectors and prevent future clogs, we suggest you loosen the garden hose connection and clean them separately. Follow the guide above to learn how to loosen a calcified garden hose connection.

Step 4: Soak them in acid

After removing the hose connector, put on your protective eyewear, and pour the preferred cleaning solution into a bucket. Then gently place the fixtures into the cleaning solution. Carefully read the label directions before mixing the stronger acids and determine how long it should take to soak your fixtures.

To clean the rest of your garden hose fixture, fill a plastic bag with your cleaning solution and use a rubber band to secure it around the hose fixture.

Note: Powerful acids like muriatic acid shouldn’t be used on certain surfaces.

Step 5: Rinse the garden hose connectors in running water and scrub

After soaking your garden hose connector for some minutes, scrub it with your soft toothbrush or sponge to remove the remaining calcium deposits. This is a vital step because if left for too long, the acid can eat the metals.

Step 6: Reconnect the garden hose

Once the garden hose connector is clean, reconnect them to their fixtures.

How to Prevent Calcium Buildup on Garden Hose

There are many reasons you may want to remove calcium from your garden hose. Preventing calcium buildup in your garden hose in the first place can help you avoid the need to clean away calcium deposits on a regular basis. Whether it’s for watering your garden or cleaning your car or deck, you can try a few methods to prevent calcium buildup. Some of the best ways to prevent calcium buildup on garden hoses include:

1.     Garden Hose Filter Conditioner

A basic garden hose filter (Link to Amazon) usually features a standard housing that uses cartridges to filter calcium and other hard minerals from the water. Besides helping with the filtration of calcium, this garden hose filter has several practical uses making it very versatile. Some of the effects of garden hose filter conditioner include:

Prevention of calcium formation on warm surfaces, evaporative pads, and sclerosis due to calcium buildup in boilers and hot water pipes.

When this garden filter conditioner is installed in systems that are prone to calcium formation, the filter has a conditioning effect as it helps in dissolving calcium.

Garden hose filter conditioner slows the oxidation process, and this, in turn, prevents the formation of scale or rust.

2.     Water Distillers

With this method and device, the filter heats the water that is later evaporated from the dissolved calcium. Then, the water vapor is condensed through a cooling system, and the water is collected in its pure form. Today, the water distillers can monitor the water temperature and automatically turns off the device to prevent overheating.

Through this process of preventing calcium buildup in garden hose is slow and can be expensive, it produces clean water that you can use to water your plants, wash your cars, and do other garden chores. However, you need electricity for this device to work.

3.     Reverse Osmosis Filters (RO)

The reverse osmosis system (Link to Amazon) takes an intricate setup, but once it has been installed, it can help filter calcium from your water. The reverse osmosis filters won’t just remove calcium, but other minerals like chloride, arsenic, fluoride, leads, organic compounds, and other environmental toxins found in water. This makes the device the perfect option for gardeners, as it ensures the best health for their plants.

4.     Whole House Water Filters

If you are not only looking to prevent calcium buildup in your garden hose but also want quality water for the entire household, a whole house filtration system (Amazon Link) could be the right option. These types of hard water filters are fixed to the main water line that enters your house. There are a lot of these filters on the market, and they offer different features, so you can find the right filter that fits your needs.

The Wrap Up

There you have it: how to remove calcium from your garden. Knowing how to remove calcium buildup from your garden hose is critical because it can be an unsightly and troublesome area of calcium build up. Follow the instruction above, and your garden hose will be as good as ever. Better still, try to avoid them in the first place by installing a garden hose filter or any other preventive device that fits your need.

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