Two children washing the dishes in the kitchen sink with their mother.
Water is often used as a symbol of purity. Unfortunately, the water that comes into our homes is not always as pure as it should be. Hard water is a problem that many people face in their home, it can be harmful to appliances and make cleaning very difficult. Below we will outline some problems that arise, and solutions that can improve your water quality as well as your quality of life.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water has high concentrations of alkaline metal, mostly calcium and magnesium. These elevated levels are due to mineral deposits in water sources and vary between geographical locations. The southwest part of the United States, on average, has the most areas affected by it but it can occur throughout the country.
The scientific community measures hard water using the pH scale. This scale ranges between 1 and 14. 1-6 is soft, 8-14 is hard, and 7 is neutral. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that drinking water should have a pH of 6.5-8.5, and between 6-8.5 for groundwater.
What Problems Come With It?
Hard water does not pose a health risk but it can affect water used for other household tasks. It can reduce your appliance’s efficiency and lead to premature wear. The main areas that it can affect are bathing, laundry, dishwashing, and the plumbing of a home.
Bathing/Personal Grooming
Bathing with hard water can leave a film or deposits on the skin. This can not only be uncomfortable but it can keep dirt and bacteria attached to your skin after you have bathed. The film is also slightly acidic and can lead to skin irritation. Indeed, it also can remove luster from your hair and leave it flat.
Laundry
Consistently washing clothes in hard water can significantly reduce their life span. Laundering in this water can make the clothes stiff and dull. Stains will not come out easily, and sometimes they will not come out at all. Hard water can also leave clothes with an unpleasant odor.
Dish Washing
Hard water leaves deposits that cling to dishes. This leaves them cloudy and dirty looking. Also, it takes a significant toll on dishwashers. When hard water is heated it forms a scale that attaches to the inner workings of the dishwasher and hinders performance. This wastes energy, money, and eventually leads to failure and replacement of the dishwasher.
Plumbing
The same scale that builds on the dishwasher typically builds up on all of the pipes throughout a home. This leads to reduced water flow and the eventual need for pipe replacement.
What to Do If Your Home Is Affected
Though hard water doesn’t pose a health risk, it can damage multiple parts of your home and will end up costing you money over the years. In fact, water softeners are an effective treatment and save your appliances from premature failure.
Water Softeners
Water softeners have a large container full of resin beads that receive hard water, remove the minerals, and then send the “soft” water away for use in the home. Thus, water softeners can increase the quality of your home’s water and extend the life of your appliances.
Conclusion
Hard water reduces the effectiveness of all of your home’s water-using appliances as well as pipes, and showers. It causes harmful buildups in pipes and appliances that will eventually need expensive repairs, or complete replacement. Water softeners are an effective and efficient way to protect your home and save you money. If you are suffering from these effects in your home, contact us at Advanced Water Softening. We have extensive experience serving Northern New Jersey, and we will use our knowledge and expertise to help you improve your water quality which will improve your quality of life.
