"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:9L3Rn.40471$DI6.8496@hurricane...
LM wrote:
Why do we bother with faucet aerators (which simply get clogged)?

My faucets were almost totally clogged with hard water deposits (I'll
call that whitish greenish coating lime for lack of a better term).

So, at Safeway, I picked up LimeAway and put the satin-finish faucet
tip in a cup of that over night.

Unfortunately some of the faucet metal was etched away to pink copper
(what is in LimeAway anyway?) but the good news is that the holes
unclogged in the aerator screens.

Now, I can tell from the name that the aerator puts air bubbles in the
water at faucet, and I can see a difference with and without the
aerator ... but I don't really see why it matters.

Please edify me.

What's in limeaway anyway (that etched away the satin coating)?

A mild acid (not hydrochloric).

Why do we bother with aerators anyway (which simply get clogged)?

Don't think "aerator", think "filter". They catch the larger particles of
mineral and organic material that are present in all water. All that I
have ever seen are removeable - and replaceable - for cleaning and are
generally made of brass/bronze.

If you need that course of a filter, you should probably have a whole house
filter. Those deposits also help wear out seals and washers faster too.
When I first moved to this house, I had to replace them every 6 months. With
a filter, they've lasted over 20 years.