Can anyone help with a suitable descaler for potable water boiling water dispenser by Zip Hydroboil,

[Julie L]

Hi Folks, I am a hard pressed Premises Manager in a State Funded Academy Primary School in the United Kingdom, we have a limited budget of course, we also have a large number of Instant Boiling Water dispensers and this is a very hard Water Area, I have only recently taken on this appointment, and there has been little or no apparent maintenance on these appliances, there is a Warning Label not to use Chemical Descaler's, but manual cleaning is not an option, and the units were never installed with in-line filters, so I have a big problem with them being obstructed by limescale accretion.

The Units I am referring to are Zip Hydroboil 5005's

Can anyone please help us Kind Regards Julie

 

[brianmoooore]

Citric acid? Available as a white powder and food grade.

 

[Julie L]

Hi Brian

Thank you, Yes, that would be my choice too, and I will probably try it as the units are all well out of warranty and we have several which are barely giving a trickle, but I thought I would ask just to cover myself in case anyone had direct experience of these units and in view of the warning label from the manufacturers about using Chemical de-scalers, though I don't know what else your supposed to do if Citric Acid isn't suitable as there aren't really any alternatives !, but by it's nature Citric Acid is a Chemical, albeit a basic one and not proprietary product.

Julie

 

[littlespark]

Is it in the budget to replace the heaters with new, and have filters fitted?... or just retrofit the filters

Its lack of maintenance that has brought this about, and no amount of descaling will bring them back to optimum condition.

What are they for? If only staff cups of coffee, then replace with a few cheap argos kettles.

 

[Julie L]

Is it in the budget to replace the heaters with new, and have filters fitted?... or just retrofit the filters

Its lack of maintenance that has brought this about, and no amount of descaling will bring them back to optimum condition.

What are they for? If only staff cups of coffee, then replace with a few cheap argos kettles.

Argos kettle wouldn't do it, we have 96 staff and 456 pupils, I have these boilers in ten classrooms, we do Breakfast Clubs, Domestic Science etc, as to Budget, don't even ask, if it can be kept going it is, if it can't we have a problem, the school has been lacking in basic maintenance for nearly ten years, and it shows, this is just one of multiple issues I have to resolve, but it's an important one, as using a Kettle or even multiple ones if possible, which it is isn't is not an adequate solution as staff would not be able to get a cup of tea or Coffee in their break times.

I have to come up with an affordable solution, while they may not work to optimum efficiency, they will almost certainly work better, and I do intend to fit in-line Limescale Filters at my earliest opportunity.

Kind regards Julie

 

[codename_john]

Hi Brian

Thank you, Yes, that would be my choice too, and I will probably try it as the units are all well out of warranty and we have several which are barely giving a trickle, but I thought I would ask just to cover myself in case anyone had direct experience of these units and in view of the warning label from the manufacturers about using Chemical de-scalers, though I don't know what else your supposed to do if Citric Acid isn't suitable as there aren't really any alternatives !, but by it's nature Citric Acid is a Chemical, albeit a basic one and not proprietary product.

Julie

Dihydrogen Monoxide is also a chemical, a very dangerous one at that, but with care and proper use is perfectly suitable for use in a zip hydroboil.
The citric acid will be fine, ive used it in a water distiller for years, you need quite a bit mixed in with the water boil it for about 30 mins then drain and flush with clean, you'll be good

 

[James]

Page 16 shows an explode view
Looks like you might have to take a couple of covers off to look into the tank.
I would pick the heater that is performing worst, take the covers off and try a natural descaled and see what the results are.

 

[Griffey]

Hi, James's advice seems good to me! Start with the worst perfoming unit then you'll know what the scale ( no pun intended) of the overall problem is . I have descaled quite a few of these when working for a university estates dept, and when not maintained regularly using hard water can become a solid block of limescale and very time consuming to remove. Citric acid is good and not too agressive on internal parts, but it all depends how much contamination there is. I am very suprised that no water treatment was installed from day one with hard water usage.
Given the new cost of these water boilers, if you have an on site a handy man it's worth a try, large 5/10Kg bags of anhydrous citric acid cristals are readly available on the internet. Also spares/parts are usually readily available.
regards Griffey

 

[James]

it might be worth an email to the manufacturer, asking what descale product they recommend.

if no response, experiment on the worst one and work from there.