Hard water problems Hard water causes scale to build up in pipes, washing machines and hot water systems. Shower heads become blocked and scale forms on baths, basins and taps. Once installed, the Scalewatcher will reduce existing scale and prevents further build up. Higher fuel costs Heating scale wastes money and increases boiler running time. With no scale on its heating exchanger, a domestic hot water cylinder takes 1½ hours to heat up. With just 5mm of scale the boiler has to run for over 4 hours wasting 2½ hours of fuel. Scalewatcher will reduce existing scale from your hot water system, returning it to its efficiency, thus saving fuel costs. Increased maintenance Scale damages washing machines and dishwashers resulting in higher maintenance costs and a shorter life