Hacks: Spout Faucet Limescale

I installed a waterfall faucet as part of renovating the bathroom.  A plumber recommended that I apply car wax to the spout to reduce limescale buildup.  Unfortunately, the design of the faucet not only contributed to limescale but also made waxing difficult.  There is a low spot in the back of the spout just in front of the black plastic aerator which collects water.  It is also difficult to get the spout dry because capillary action draws water out of the chamber behind the aerator.  The short lifespan of the car wax combined with recent water softener issues led to significant limescale buildup that discoloured the brushed nickel finish.

The manufacturer replaced the faucet, but I was concerned that the problem might reoccur.  The solution was to line the faucet spout with Gorilla Tape.  The tape I had was 5 cm/2 inches wide so it did not cover the sides of the spout - you can see the edge in the picture on the left.  Installation was easy.  I turned off the water, blew out water behind the aerator with compressed air, and dried the spout.  I cut the tape on the roll at right angles using a square leaving excess tape, held the tape at the end to avoid fingerprints, aligned the cut edge with the aerator, centred the tape, secured the tape to the spout, and cut off excess tape at the end of the spout with a knife.

The limescale does not adhere well to the tape - I can remove any limescale by rubbing it with a finger.  After a month, the tape is still firmly attached.  I expect that it will gradually deteriorate but the tape should be easy to replace.