Hard water. It’s a major problem across the country in residential water supplies, affecting approximately 85% of homes to some degree or another. For some households, the hardness won’t cause problems. But the higher the level of hardness, the more danger the hard water minerals pose to the plumbing system and the water-using appliances attached to it. If your home has a high level of water hardness, the best method to deal with it is to have our plumbers install a water softener.
Warning Signs of Hard Water Trouble
Hard water means water that has above-average concentrations of certain minerals in it, primarily magnesium and calcium. These do not make the water harmful to drink (although they can affect taste quality). But they create scale inside pipes and fixtures and along surfaces, leading to plumbing problems and difficulty with keeping a house and the people in it clean. Below are some signs that this is occurring in your house:
- Poor soap lather: The presence of hard water minerals makes it more difficult to create soap suds for washing and bathing. This is often one of the earliest signs people notice of hard water.
- Filmy feeling in skin and hair: Hard water leaves behind an unpleasant, filmy residue. You may notice this film on your skin and hair after showering.
- Streaks and film on glass and porcelain: Likewise, the film from hard water will appear on glass surfaces and the porcelain of sinks. If your glass shower doors never seem to get clean, hard water may be the reason. You’ll also notice spots on glasses that go through the dishwasher.
- Faded laundry: The minerals in hard water are brought out as scale when the water is heated. This will cause your laundry colors to rapidly fade after going through the washing machine.
- Flaky deposits on fixtures: Calcite deposits will develop on faucets and showerhead because of hard water. If your showerhead is clogging up and sending streams in all directions, the trouble may be these calcite deposits.
- Increased water pressure: High water pressure occurs because scale deposits inside the pipes are cutting down on volume. This can also lead to excessive amounts of leaks.
Keep this in mind: hard water isn’t just a nuisance. It can lead to expensive trouble for your plumbing. The appliance in your house that’s in the most danger is the water heater, which will develop limescale inside its tank and threaten to overheat or corrode. You’ll also run into busted dishwashers, laundry machines, and leaking pipes. Never ignore indications of hard water—because when they get out of hand, it will hit your budget hard.
Water Softeners Solve the Problem
Water softeners safely counteract hard water by replacing harmful minerals with sodium ions. This “softens” the water and protects the plumbing, as well as makes cleaning easier and the house more pleasant.
Where do you get a water softener in College Park, MD? You don’t go out and shop for one, either in a brick-and-mortar store or online. For the right water softener installed correctly, it takes plumbing professionals with experience in water treatment systems.