Search...
Home Subscribe
Pie
Home Subscribe
Recent topics Flagged topics Hot topics Best topics
Search...
Search within pep plumbing Search permies
Advance search Google search
Register / Login
gift
Companion Planting Guide by World Permaculture Association
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
click here for details
  • Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
IC.org Permies Book Reviews benefits of pie GMC website Better Wood Heat DIY Rocket Mass Heater DVD
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Clean/Decalcify a Faucet Aerator - PEP BB plumbing.sand.tiny.cleanfaucet

BB plumbing and hot water - sand badge
posted 5 years ago
  • Likes 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Plumbing.

In this Badge Bit, you will fix a clean/decalcify a faucet aerator.  (Note that this BB is part of a 6-part choose your own adventure list BB called the Tiny List. You must complete six Badge Bits in the Tiny List.)



Here are some articles on how to clean a faucet aerator:
  - Clearing a Blocked Faucet Aerator
  - How to Clean a Faucet
  - Unclog a Kitchen Faucet Aerator
  - Slow Water From Your Faucet? Clean the Aerator

And here are some videos on cleaning a faucet aerator:






To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - Clean/decalcify a faucet aerator

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must show proof of the following (as pictures or a video < 2 mins):
 - Dirty/calcified faucet operating poorly
 - Cleaning/decalcifying the faucet
 - Newly cleaned/decalcified faucet operating properly
 - A description of the method for how the faucet aerator was cleaned/decalcified
COMMENTS:
 
Erik Pehoviack
Posts: 38
Location: Hemingford Nebraska
21
3
I like...
transportation hugelkultur forest garden earthworks building solar
posted 4 years ago
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Approved submission
I chose this as my first attempt at the 6-part BB. Here it is.

Here's a before shot of the calcified aerator.



The first step in cleaning our aerator was to rinse off debris from the plumbing. This was caught in the strainer and dumped outside.



After rinsing the aerator and spray wand were soaked in white vinegar to dissolve the buildup. This bag sat in the sink and allowed me to zip up against the hose.



After a long soak the aerator was scrubbed with a stainless steel brush.



I also scrubbed the sprayer with the brush.



A nice clean aerator for the kitchen sink!



A nice clean sprayer as well!

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
Mike Haasl
steward
Posts: 15505
Location: Northern WI (zone 4)
4846
7
I like...
hunting trees books food preservation solar woodworking
posted 4 years ago
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Approved submission
I just took a shot at this one myself.  The faucet wasn't calcified but it was plugged up with debris.  I cleaned it out mainly with water in another sink but also soaked it in hydrogen peroxide just to cover all my bases.  The improvement in flow is hard to see but that's because when it first was noticeable, I rubbed the underside of the aerator which improved it a bunch (but didn't really fix the issue).
Before-(after-rubbing-aerator-with-finger-to-get-it-decent).jpg
Before (after rubbing aerator with finger to get it decent)
Before (after rubbing aerator with finger to get it decent)
Gunk-on-top-side-of-aerator.jpg
Gunk on top side of aerator
Gunk on top side of aerator
Gunk-on-bottom-side.jpg
Gunk on bottom side
Gunk on bottom side
Soaking-in-hydrogen-peroxide.jpg
Soaking in hydrogen peroxide
Soaking in hydrogen peroxide
All-done-.jpg
All done!
All done!

SKIP books, get 'em while they're hot!!! Skills to Inherit Property

Staff note (Nicole Alderman) :

I hereby certify that this badge bit is complete!

 
Carolyne Castner
pollinator
Posts: 134
Location: Zone 8B Blackland Prairie, Tx
86
I like...
cat dog home care personal care urban books cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs ungarbage
posted 4 years ago
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Approved submission
Yesterday I was working on a big project (couch repair!) and decided to clean the faucets off as well. Our area has really hard water (usually scores a 15+ in water tests) with lots of calcium deposits from the underlying limestone. I pulled the aerators from the kitchen and master bathroom, as well as the kitchen sink sprayer. Realized there was a BB for doing the shower head as well so decided to do them all together.

Soaked all the pieces in 9% white vinegar for about three hours while I worked on the couch repair. I was able to flake off all the buildup with my nails after the soak, so it worked really well!

Added some rubber gaskets and plumbers tape to the leaky sink tap and it now works wonderfully.

IMG_0219.jpg
Kitchen tap before
Kitchen tap before
IMG_0220.jpg
Sprayer Before
Sprayer Before
IMG_0221.jpg
Sprayer guts
Sprayer guts
IMG_0222.jpg
Eeeew
Eeeew
IMG_0223.jpg
Kitchen tap aerator, pretty clean filter
Kitchen tap aerator, pretty clean filter
IMG_0226.jpg
Bathroom tap before
Bathroom tap before
IMG_0227.jpg
Bathroom tap aerator, lots of buildup
Bathroom tap aerator, lots of buildup
IMG_0229.jpg
Bathroom tap filter, a bit of stuff
Bathroom tap filter, a bit of stuff
IMG_0230.jpg
Bathroom tap aerator, look at all that gunk!!
Bathroom tap aerator, look at all that gunk!!
IMG_0231.jpg
Vinegar
Vinegar
IMG_0232.jpg
All parts soaking
All parts soaking
IMG_0244.jpg
Sprayer after
Sprayer after
IMG_0245.jpg
Clean aerators
Clean aerators
IMG_0246.jpg
Kitchen Sink
Kitchen Sink
IMG_0247.jpg
Bathroom sink
Bathroom sink

I Solemnly Swear I am NOT the crazy cat lady!
*but not for a lack of trying!

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!  And another air badge for you

 
D. Logan
gardener
Posts: 1179
Location: Eastern Tennessee
520
I like...
homeschooling forest garden foraging rabbit tiny house books food preservation cooking writing woodworking homestead
posted 4 years ago
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Approved submission
Regarding the method I used: after I removed the aerator I sprayed it with vinegar and scrubbed it and the faucet with a toothbrush. Once it was loosened and the larger bits removed I soaked it in vinegar. After the last of the bubbling was done, I scrubbed and rinsed the components before reattaching them.

Postscript: I would never let my faucet get this bad. I did one of the ones at my workplace so the difference would be clear.
20200828_074026.jpg
Before
Before
20200828_074403.jpg
Work in progress
Work in progress
20200828_074854.jpg
Finished
Finished

Outdoor and Ecological articles (sporadic Mondays) at http://blog.dxlogan.com/ and my main site is found at http://www.dxlogan.com/

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
Rebecca Blake
pollinator
Posts: 391
Location: Central TX
160
5
I like...
homeschooling kids forest garden foraging books medical herbs building homestead greening the desert
posted 4 years ago
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
    Send
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Approved submission
The build up on the faucet was so bad I couldn't get the aerator off! So, if you need me to take it off for this badge, let me know.

I tied a bag full of vinegar to the faucet and let it soak. When I removed the bag, I scrubbed the aerator with a brush.
Clogged-Aerator.jpg
[Thumbnail for Clogged-Aerator.jpg]
Bag-of-Vinegar.jpg
[Thumbnail for Bag-of-Vinegar.jpg]
Un-clogged-Aerator.jpg
[Thumbnail for Un-clogged-Aerator.jpg]
Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!  If you do want to get it off, use something like a thin leather glove to protect it as you grab it with pliers and unscrew it.

 
Are you here to take over the surface world? Because this tiny ad will stop you!
GAMCOD 2025: 200 square feet; Zero degrees F or colder; calories cheap and easy
https://permies.com/wiki/270034/GAMCOD-square-feet-degrees-colder
reply
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
Boost this thread!
Similar Threads
More...