Hard water is a widespread problem in the US, affecting around 85 per cent of the country! While hard water poses no risk to human health, it can have a variety of negative effects on your home and lifestyle. Clothing feels hard and rough to the touch, the dishes get covered with difficult-to-remove spots, andsinks, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures become coated with an unsightly chalk-like substance. Worse yet, it can lead to deeper problems, like mineral build-up that clogs our pipes and greatly shortens the lifespan and efficiency of home appliances that use water like coffee makers, air conditioners, washers, water heaters, and refrigerators.
If you are living in a region that is plagued by this naturally occurring phenomenon, there is thankfully something you can do about it! Professional water treatment technicians like the Water Doctors can install water softeners in your home that will prevent the deleterious effects of hard water, saving you a bunch of trouble and money!
You might be curious as to just what hard water is, and how it ends up in your home. Most municipal water supplies come up out of underground aquifers. On the way to your tap, the water absorbs minerals from the rocks and soil like magnesium and calcium. These hard minerals react with household soaps such as hand, dish, and laundry, making them less effective. Worse yet, the minerals accrete to the walls of pipes which can drastically reduce a home’s water pressure and flow, and if left unchecked, reduce them to a trickle!
If you suspect that your home has a hard water problem you should contact your local water authority for more information, they are happy to offer information as well as advice on the best course to alleviate the negative effects. You can also do some research on your own by purchasing a water test kit from your local home supply centre or hardware store, it’s easy to use and can give you a better idea of the situation. It’s important to stay well ahead of this problem before mineral build-up can damage your entire plumbing system, a costly headache to be sure!
The issue isn’t going to be whether or not your water contains magnesium and calcium, but if they are in high enough concentrations to impact your home’s plumbing. There will always be trace amounts of minerals, but levels at or above 120 PPM fall under the hard category. If that is the case, you should definitely have a water softening solution installed!
