When it comes to hard water, most people notice the spots first. Think cloudy residue on wine glasses fresh out of the dishwasher and chalky buildup around the faucet that reappears a week after scrubbing it off.
As it turns out, however, hard water affects more than your glassware and appliances. Stiff laundry, dry skin, and poor soap performance are some other consequences to recognize.
In this brief article brought to you by Mr. Rooter Plumbing, we give you the rundown on what hard water is, how it affects your cleaning and showering, and what you can do about it.
If you’d rather consult or hire a trained plumber in Edinboro, PA to address hard water in your home or business, then contact Mr. Rooter Plumbing to get in touch.
What is Hard Water?
Water picks up minerals as it moves through the ground, and calcium and magnesium are the two most common minerals that end up in a home's water supply.
The more calcium and magnesium the water carries, the harder it is classified. Hard water is not unsafe to drink in most cases, but it interacts poorly with nearly every system and surface it touches inside a home.
The United States Geological Survey estimates that roughly 85 percent of American homes receive hard water. Most of the homeowners in those houses have simply accepted the inconveniences as normal.
Why Soap Stops Working Properly
Soap works by binding to dirt and oil, lifting them away from skin, hair, and surfaces so water can rinse them off. That process depends on the soap molecules moving freely in the water.
Well… calcium and magnesium ions in hard water bind to soap molecules before the soap gets a chance to do its job. The result is soap that refuses to lather fully regardless of how much gets used.
You end up with shampoo that leaves hair feeling filmy, body wash that produces an unsatisfying lather, and dish soap that takes twice as much product to cut through grease.
Most people respond by using more soap, more shampoo, more detergent. Those who prefer not to spend so much money on product opt for a water softener installation. More on this later.
The Other Problems Hard Water Causes
Chalky residue on dishes is annoying, but what hard water does to a home's plumbing system and appliances is a financial problem:
- Scale buildup inside pipes accumulates the same way it does on faucets and showerheads. Over years, mineral deposits narrow the interior of those pipes, restricting water flow and increasing pressure on the system.
- Water heater efficiency drops significantly in hard water homes. The U.S. Department of Energy has found that scale buildup can reduce water heater efficiency by up to 30 percent.
- Appliances wear out faster. Dishwashers, washing machines, coffee makers, and ice makers all suffer accelerated wear in hard water environments.
- Laundry comes out stiffer and duller. Clothes feel rougher, colors fade faster, and whites develop a gray or yellow cast over time.
All of these problems share one solution. Contact Mr. Rooter Plumbing to ask about water softener installation for your home.
What a Water Softener Does
A water softener uses an ion-exchange process to replace calcium and magnesium ions in the water supply with sodium or potassium ions. The exchange happens inside the softener's resin tank before the water reaches any fixture or appliance in the home.
Ready to stop fighting hard water and start enjoying everything a softened water supply delivers? Contact Mr. Rooter Plumbing to get in touch with a local plumber.
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