My drip emitters are blocked by hard white scale, can I flush the lines with acid?

Hard white scale inside emitters is usually mineral deposit from hard water, calcium and similar salts, and unlike algae it does not wash out with plain flushing. The common cure is an acid treatment, where a dilute acid is injected into the lines, left for a short contact time to dissolve the scale, and then flushed out thoroughly with clean water. This works, but acid is dangerous to handle and the wrong strength or contact time can harm the pipe, the crop, or you, so this is one job where you should get the exact acid, dilution, and method from your drip dealer or KVK rather than guess. Always flush well afterwards so no acid reaches the roots, and wear protection. To slow future scaling, keep the filter clean, flush the line ends regularly, and if your water is very hard, a routine mild acid treatment between seasons keeps emitters open. Confirm the acid type and dose with your dealer or KVK before you do it, because this varies with your water and system.