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An aerator's a waste of money imho

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cheapncheerful's picture
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I was told they saved you on the water but the one I got for the bathroom sink is all clogged up. It's not much of a saving when you need to replace the flaming thing after only about six months. I should have asked in the store if you can use them when you have hard water but I didn't. I'd not recommend them. I can't remember how much the aerator was but I won't be bothering with the rest of the faucets.Sorry to be griping but it's disappointing.



The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. - Mad Magazine.

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pennywise's picture
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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

Don't give up on it yet, cheapncheerful. Take the aerator back off again, put it in a shallow dish and soak it in white vinegar for a couple of hours. They get gunked up the same way coffee makers do and vinegar breaks down the minerals. See if that fixes it. I have aerators too and I think they do save you on the water bills.

cheapncheerful's picture
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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

Pennywise, I forgot to come back and tell you I did that and it worked like a charm! I also found that when I dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe the showerhead it clears out the buildup on that as well. Mine isn't detachable and I can't get inside properly but that's something anyway. Thanks very much again. The coffee pot's next once I find out how you do that. :)



The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. - Mad Magazine.

billeater's picture
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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

billeater wrote:

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

Anything beats getting out a wrench lol. We're pretty hapless when it comes to DIY in our house. :) Excellent tip, billeater!



The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash. ~Author Unknown

pennywise's picture
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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

billeater wrote:

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

 
Thanks billeater. The showerhead I couldn't figure out how to get cleaned before you suggested that. I tried the bag and it worked good! I could see all the deposits building up on it for months and that's all gone now.

cheapncheerful's picture
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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

billeater wrote:

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

billeater wrote:

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

 
I'm so glad you posted that! The wiping it down method didn't last long at all and I didn't have a clue what to try next.  It was great and I can't believe the difference it made. It must have been far more clogged than I knew.  Thanks very much, billeater. :)
(I'm scared to look at the water tank LOL.)



The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. - Mad Magazine.

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Re: An aerator's a waste of money imho

cheapncheerful wrote:

billeater wrote:

The trick with showerheads is to fill a large ziplock-style bag up with the vinegar and fit it over the showhead. Then, use a rubberband to hold it near the top of the showerhead, just like you would do with a ponytail. Beats getting out a wrench...

I'm so glad you posted that! The wiping it down method didn't last long at all and I didn't have a clue what to try next.  It was great and I can't believe the difference it made. It must have been far more clogged than I knew.  Thanks very much, billeater. :)
(I'm scared to look at the water tank LOL.)

Tell me about it! Thanks for the tip. I have that kind of water too and was wondering about the water tank.  Do you know, is there any way to clean out the water tank of deposits or do you have to replace the whole thing? Ours must be full of that junk.



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