Some people grow so accustomed to hard water deposits on their faucets or soap scum on their shower doors that they assume it’s unavoidable. In reality, there’s an easy solution—remove stubborn minerals before they cause buildup with a water softening system. Hard water can damage appliances, fixtures, plumbing, and even your skin and hair. Soft water extends the longevity of your appliances and keeps your hair and skin moisturized and clean.
What is Hard Water?
Hard water contains a high amount of the minerals, calcium, magnesium, and sometimes, iron. Naturally soft rainwater falls to the earth and picks up these minerals as it moves through the ground to enter our waterways. As a result, hard water is common in homes, and its negative effects are easy to spot.
As hard water moves through the pipes, it can leave behind mineral deposits that are called scale buildup. Dry skin and hair, bathtub ring, spots on glass and silverware, dingy clothing, disappointing performance and a shortened life expectancy of water-using appliances are all problems frequently caused by hard water. Hard water buildup can result in damage to your appliances and fixtures, and can be expensive to repair.
The Benefits of Living Without Hard Water
Many people have grown so accustomed to hard water they don’t realize the negative impact it is having on their home and body. Some benefits of soft water are:
Spend Less Time Cleaning
When soft water runs through your pipes, there is less chance that hard calcium spots will build up on your appliances. Because of this, you will not have to spend time scrubbing those spots out. Soft water also decreases the chance of difficult to remove bathtub rings and soap scum on the tub walls. When you clean your dishes, you won’t end up with spots on your glasses and silverware.
Increase the Lifespan of Appliances
Using soft water rather than hard water can increase the lifespan of your appliances. Your washing machine, toilet, water heater, dishwasher, humidifier, faucets, and icemaker will work better for longer because they won’t have scale deposits. Calcium buildup can force your appliances to work harder and less efficiently. Appliances that use soft water are less likely to break down or need expensive repairs.
Always Have a Good Hair Day
Shampoo was made to work with soft water to leave your hair looking clean, smooth and shiny. The minerals in hard water, however, interact with shampoo to create a curd-like substance that leaves behind a sticky residue in your hair. It can feel like the hair strands have a film on them. Soft water improves the condition of hair. It also helps protect the color of dyed hair.
Moisturize Your Skin
Soap commercials frequently talk about how their soap doesn’t leave a chalky residue on your skin like other brands. If you have hard water in your shower, it doesn’t matter which brand you choose at the store. Soap combines with the minerals in hard water to cover your skin in a soapy film.
In addition, the hard water film can disrupt the natural oil in your skin’s pores resulting in dry skin. Soft water leaves you with a natural, smooth feeling every time you step out of the shower.
Cleaner Clothes
Soft water allows laundry detergent to do its job and properly clean the clothes in the washing machine. Clothes and textiles washed in soft water keep their color and shape longer and you’ll be able to use less detergent when you do your laundry.
Laundry detergent reacts with the minerals in hard water leaving behind a residue on clothing, sheets, and towels. Towels will be less absorbent over time and clothes won’t feel completely clean, no matter how much you wash them. All fabrics wear out quicker when washed with hard water.
Appliance Efficiency
Energy-efficient appliances are beneficial because they reduce the energy used and money spent on bills. Using soft water with energy-efficient appliances is the best way to reap the benefits of the appliances. Soft water allows appliances to run at lower temperatures, which can decrease energy usage.
How to Remove Chemicals or Minerals in Tap Water
The best way to know if you have hard water in your home is to have a licensed plumber perform a water test. The simple test will measure the chemical or mineral concentrations in your water.
Having a water softener installed in your home is the easiest and most effective way to prevent hard water buildup around water fixtures or in your bathtub or toilet. After a simple installation, homeowners will say goodbye to dry skin, stringy hair, dingy clothes, and clogged pipes.
Fletchers Plumbing & Contracting is a licensed, bonded plumbing contractor that serves Yuba City, California and the surrounding area. To receive a free water test or to learn more about how soft water can improve your home, visit https://fletchersplumbing.net/call-us/, or call (530) 673-2489.