Does anyone use an in-line water softener or one of those magnetic gizmos which allegedly prevent limescale build up?
Do they work?
What’s the best way to clean calcium out of a French water heater where all the connections are at the base?
I’m noticing that hot water flow has dropped off slightly over the last few months while the cold flow has stayed the same.
In my last house in the UK, I had a magnetic thingy. It most definitely didn’t work 
Those magnetic things are snake oil 
When I last serviced mine I partially filled it with vinegar after emptying the water. Shifted a good amount of calcium but it took time.
Ion exchange resin softners are the best but pricey. Ultrasonic devices can help if powerul enough.
I was looking at my water heater yesterday and didn’t see an obvious place to hook up a hose to blow down the sediment that surely is building up inside. Is that not a thing here? Or do I need to look harder? I was looking at the electrical connections so wasn’t really looking for the blowndown valve.
How did you get the vinegar in? All the water connections on mine are at the bottom of the cylinder.
I haven’t got round to it yet … but in London I used a cartridge thingy - a replaceable cartridge full of little rocks - sat in line on the cold water inlet to the boiler - a can of Calgon basically.
Called Sentinel/Crusader (god knows - there was a Knight in the logo)
It worked very well - London water is very hard. You could tell by the shower screen when it needed changing - so it definately worked
Disconected it and turned it over.
I think I may strap my ’ anti creature’ repellant devices to my cold pipe … May have a double use 
Yes give a go haha
Alas, mine is a 220 litre job in the attic with about 2cm clearance on 3 sides. It replaced an ancient 150 litre one which was mostly limescale once I opened it up to see what had failed.
Yes I know the problem, mine was part of the re construction I was doing so removed it and made it possible to remove it when required.
I will look at the possibility of fitting a coil for solar heating of the water next time as I dont like being charged in excess of an extra €1000 for a coil fitted cylinder for using green tech.
If you’re in a high calcium area, you need to “détartrer” your cumulus every couple of years. That involves emptying it and removing the plate at the bottom. You’ll be surprised how much crap you have sitting in the bottom of your cumulus. Really worth doing, reduce your electricity consumption too.
The magnetic thingy’s are not intended to remove Calcium, they simply change its format. I have had one for three years and the difference in the kettle is dramatic. The Calcium instead of sticking very determinedly to the kettle is a loose fine powder so you can just rinse the calcium out. Therefore removing the Calcium from your hot water tank should be somewhat easier. Vinegar for removing solid Calcium is the cheapest solution, make sure it is warm as it works quicker.
I am an engineering consultant back in uk, electronic water descaler’s have been around for many years and do exactly what they say on the label, they change the ions in the water which basically stops them sticking to the pipe.
They also in time charge the ions on the scale that is already set on the walls of the pipe and it will break down, slowly, unless you oversize them, they are non-invasive in that they need fitting straight after the meter on the main feed, its a few coils wrapped around pipe, plug into box and turn it on and no playing with pipework
There are straight magnetic ones but not as strong.
Once working no need to pull cylinders apart to clean and mess about.
There are lots out there, cheap and cheerful and scary stupid but thats all down to size on units, and if you dont like the idea changing properties of water, trust me you have been drinking it for years and I am not aware of any health issues, and given water companies recommend, trust me if there was a chance of where theirs blame theirs a claim they would not go near them.
Just look on the web and look for water descaler, found one in about 2 sec, £195, which is a lot cheaper than replacing pipework or water heaters, just size to suit your supply size. have a read of the attached web it says a lot more than I do, ps I am not selling or linked, shop around I would, but that might be the yorkshire blood in me.
www.eastmidlandswater.com/system-50-limescale-eliminator,
Our old kettle, always had a build up. I fitted a magnet to our mains cold supply, and there is a marked difference. May be cos we live so far out in the sticks.
I use Nocalc and am quite happy. It does not prevent calcium not take it out of the water, but it kind of ‘enrobes’ it so it does not stick to stuff. Choose your NoCalc limescale filter system from NoCalc International
I’m puzzled by the previous opinions - that magnetic de-scalers don’t work.
I had a basic magnetic one supplied and fitted 10 years ago, by a local plumber (83, Var).
I was more gullible then, and he ripped me off for 800€ for 40 minutes work , but that’s another, all too typical, story…
The device itself has worked well from Day 1, it just sits in line in the cold water feed pipe and costs nothing to run. As Graham and Davis have already said, it not only stops further build-up but also dissolved the existing scale. The interior of the electric kettle returned to pristine, a week after we fitted the device They don’t last forever, and there are signs that mine isn’t quite as effective as it was. After 10 years, I’m thinking of replacing it, and Screwfix in the UK have a choice at £30-50.
Unfortunately, they’ve suspended their European operation, for the usual reason…
Screwfix have a new site specifically for France https://www.screwfix.fr/
However the range is extremely limited.