5 Ways Hard Water Can Slowly Destroy Your Home

Hard water is generally considered a nuisance since it results in many different problems, increases your energy bills, and can often result in serious water damage to your home. Let us look at what hard water is, problems it causes, and what are the viable solutions for fixing this common problem in Phoenix, Arizona and other major cities across the world.

What is hard water?

Hard water refers to type of water which contains high amounts of magnesium and calcium. Additionally, hard water can be resolved temporarily or by using a more permanent solution such as a water softener.

You can temporally reduce hard water by boiling the water. This will remove the minerals from the water and even purify it to be able to drink. On the other hand, if you want a more permanent and reliable solution in your home, you’ll want to look at a water softner for softening permanent hard water.

How to test for hard water?

If you notice white scale build-up over plumbing fixtures then it is a clear indicator of hard water. You can also perform a simple to confirm presence of hard water.

Just take a container and add some amount of water and dish soap into it and shake it well. If good amount of suds are not forming then it will be a clear sign of hard water.

What to Do If I Have Hard Water?

So you have hard water in your home? It’s time to learn how it can become a serious threat to your home or family. Here are 5 ways how hard water can destroy your home:

Problems with Soap Scum Buildup

Many of us with hard water will often notice soap scum in bathtub, scale build up on ceramic tiles, or mineral deposits inside cooking dishes. These do not indicate that housekeeping is not being carried out properly but are a clear sign of of hard water that is present.

Problems with Heat Transfer

When you heat hard water, it results in formation of insoluble precipitate commonly called scale. The scale coats the utensil in which you heat the water. There are many problems that you will face when this happens:

• First of all, this scale is usually very difficult to clean. It leaves a soapy lining on your dishes even after it goes through the dishwasher.
• Secondly, build-up of this scale will lower heat transfer efficiency since scale is not a good conductor of heat. Due to this reason food will not heat quickly or evenly in pans and pots which have large scale deposits.
• Your water heater will have to heat up water and all the scale build up present inside the tank. This will reduce efficiency of your water heater and also increase your energy bills. In addition, a scaling of ¼ inch over heating element will mean the water heater will have to use 40% more energy for heating the water, which will also result in higher energy bills.

Problems with Water Flow

This scale can build-up inside your appliances like dishwashers and also pipes, resulting in obstruction of water flow and reduced water pressure like in your shower which can cause other issues.

Due to this reason, it will become necessary to replace parts of your appliances more often since such blockage can also result in cracked or burst pipes. Additionally, mineral build up around faucets and water fixtures looks ugly and blocks water flow. Soap scum is not easy to clean either.

Problem of Galvanic Corrosion

Electrolytes present in this type of water can result in galvanic corrosion. This type of corrosion takes place in a situation where one metal starts corroding when it comes in contact with some other metal and eventually pipes may burst. Don’t let a hefty plumbing bill hit you before you can do something about it. Choose a water soften for your hard water problems. It’s a very smart investment for your home.

Problem of Spots on Flatware, Dishes, and Glasses

You will notice white spots on your dishes due to presence of minerals in the hard water. These minerals mix with soap or detergent used for cleaning dishes and tend to stick to items present inside your dishwasher.

This will result in dishes which are less than ideal and will cause you to wash them by hand. No one likes looking at a dirty fork or spoon before they eat, especially your guests.

What are the Solutions for Hard Water?

Hard water is capable of causing a lot of damage to your home. There is only one real solution – a water softener. No elbow grease or over the counter solutions are going to get rid of your hard water problem. It’s time to tackle the problem right at the source. Don’t fall victim to these issues and save yourself money to use on your family. Give us a call today at (480) 331-4621