Hi all. I didn’t want to start a new thread so hoped I’d get an answer here……..I’m looking to buy an OZ, for when my Minima arrives. I understand the need to sanitise the OZ but can’t get my head around why it would need descaling (as mentioned in a this and other OZ threads) could anyone answer my (maybe stupid) question please?

P.S I live in a fairly soft water area.

Thanks

Al

  • Rob1 replied to this.

    Abcan not entirely sure….scale forms at low temperatures when water is supersaturated. Could well be it’s just to get the salts off the filters. In short, you don’t just get scale from heating the water…. though I believe the oz does that too.

      Not sure on this one either. The filters are removed for descaling so they don’t get any treatment. If the operational filters remove scale from the water, then surely you are just descaling the route from reservoir to the filters? A short piece of tubing. Is it then that the only part of it that’s descaled is the reservoir tank and pipes to filters?

      Edit - I suppose whatever is left after the filters starts to deposit over time especially around the heating element?

      Not necessarily, after filtration it’s not going to heat enough to scale. Must be pipes to filters. That’s assuming the heating element only comes into contact with filtered water.

      3 months later

      I just tested the output of my Osmio zero. Filters are 11 months old. KH is 26.9 and GH was negligible (seemed to turn green after first drop and remained green thereafter with more drops added). This confuses me as I thought KH is carbonate hardness (hardness due to bicarbonates alone) whereas GH is general hardness (hardness contributed by all contributers), hence I would have imagined GH would be greater than KH? Any thoughts on this? I use the API drop test kit, 40ml sample, results divided by 4

      • Rob1 replied to this.

        JahLaza It’s a measure of alkalinity which is contributed by more than just bicarbonate, though bicarb will be the main source. The filters are likely much better at removing calcium and magnesium than they are bicarbonate and other smaller things due to particle size.

            Rob1 does this mean there is some carbonates and nothing else? I realise it’s a pretty crude test, but in simple terms. And pertaining to the Osmio operation,the remineralisation has probably stopped supplying back some? Or do these results indicate it’s removing everything and the remineralisation cartridge is adding the 26.9pm I got? I always leave that cartridge in

            • Rob1 replied to this.

                40 ml sample divided by 8. It may not matter much.

                  LMSC apologies it’s 20 mls of a sample, the result divided by 4

                    JahLaza Oh, ok I assumed based on the title of the thread that the remineralisation cartridge wasn’t being used. It’s supposed to add alkalinity and hardness back in about equal measure, I think. It may be exhausted and the output represents pretty much the results of filtration. I can’t say if the alkalinity is from carbonates or not. Probably. Osmio are reluctant to say exactly what is in the remineralisation cartridge, could be phosphates or citrates.

                        Rob1 yes, apologies I just tagged on to one of the many Osmio/water threads. I always put all filters in and leave it at that. Probably time to change filters so

                          2 months later

                          I’m back to changing my filters again (just over 13 months old). Osmio recommend descaling and sanitising periodically, mine is due both. Each takes a bit of time! I’m in the middle of descaling with citric acid at the moment. Is there much advantage to sanitising then as well (with Milton solution)? As citric acid has anti bacterial anti mould and mildew properties I think, will it essentially perform the same task as sanitising with Milton solution? I know its effectiveness will probably be reduced if the solution is neutralised by the descaling action but just thought I’d ask people’s opinions