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The Shocking Truth about Hard Water vs Soft Water
Most homeowners don’t bother much about the quality of water they’re getting in from the supply. They just see getting a transparent water to clean hands or doing dishes. But it’s true that the quality of water you’re getting in the house can have a huge impact on the quality of your life as well as your plumbing fixtures.
You’ll be amazed to know that having hard water can result in chemical deposits inside boilers and pipes. Such water can lower your water flows and make your heating less-efficient. Resultantly you’re paying more for getting less. The next time you go to the bath tub and are unable to get that amazing foam all around; make sure to have the water checked if it’s hard or soft. That’s because hard water can interfere with the action of soaps and detergents.
Why it’s important to know the difference between hard and soft water?
So, it’s important to check what type of water your house is using because there are significant differences between hard and soft water. Depending on the quality of your water, you may need to install a water softener or a reverse osmosis system.
Both of these products can help prevent build-up in pipes and appliances, reduce soap scum, and remove heavy metals from drinking water. On top of this, it’s important to consider the impact that hard water may have on your health. If you’re washing dishes by hand with tap water then it might be time for a change.
What is hard water and Soft water?
Hard water is a type of water that has high levels of hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium, dissolved in it. The water when flows from its source to the end location, it collects minute particles and if there’re minerals along the way like calcium and magnesium, the water will collect these and become hard.
When these minerals come into contact with soap or shampoo they create a curd that causes the product to not lather well or rinse off easily. This phenomenon is called temporary hardness. The opposite of hard water is soft water which contains low mineral content.
Signs of hard water in a house includes:
- Buildup on plumbing fixtures
- Soap scum on shower doors
- Difficulty in producing lather
- Feeling a film of soap scum on your hands after washing them.
- Finding spots on glasses and silverware around dishwasher or other plumbing fixtures.
- Less water pressure in your home
- Mineral stains on cloths when they come out of the washing machine.
How to check for hardness of water?
If you’ve complains just like above, it’s best to hire a plumber as they can test for water hardness. They generally have home testing kits that can help determine the concentrations of hardness mineral in the home water supply. After getting the concentration levels, they compare the result on the hardness measurement scale. The result of concentration might be expressed in grains per gallon (gpg), milligram per liter (mg/L) or sometimes they use parts per million (ppm).
Soft water is opposite of hard water. It contains no hardness minerals and may only contain sodium. A true soft water is a chemically softened that removes hardness minerals and so it might taste bit salty while drinking. Rain water is generally a soft water while most of the water in the deep wells is hard water.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended following value of concentration of hardness in water:
- For drinking purpose – hardness level should be around 50 to 70 ppm.
- For bathing, washing dishes, and doing laundry – hardness should be around 30 to 60 MgL.
Is hard water bad?
The most damaging of hardness minerals are Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide, which will leave behind a residue on your fixtures, pipes, and anything else that comes into contact with hard water. If you need Plumbers Tulsa services, call our team today!
One problem with hard water is that it can cause soap scum to form more quickly than it does in soft water. This means you’ll have to clean your shower, bathroom sink or tub more often if you have hard water.
Another issue is that hard water can lead to clothes fading faster than they do in soft dryer cycles if you’re using a traditional washing machine. Hard water also leaves behind an unattractive white or yellow ring around your bathtub after you take a hot bath.
It’s no secret that hard water can be bad for your skin. It’s high mineral content and evaporated chlorine, which is left behind after the water has passed through a water softener, can irritate your skin and make it dry out.
Hard water also leaves residue on your bathtub or shower, which is difficult to remove and can cause soap scum. Plus, hard water creates an unpleasant odor in your home because of its high level of dissolved minerals.
However, there are ways you can help remedy these problems by installing a whole-home water softener system in your house to reduce the amount of minerals present in the water as well as neutralizing the unpleasant odor that comes with it!
How to deal with hardness of water?
If you have hard water, we recommend using a water softener. A water softener is designed to remove the minerals that cause hardness from your home’s hot and cold water supply.
A water softener is a filtration system that is designed to filter out hardness mineral from your water supply. It has a bed of resin inside that can trap the calcium and magnesium ions and replacing them with the sodium ions.
You can also use some other tips to reduce the effects of hard water on your skin and hair:
- Use a conditioner in addition to shampoo when washing hair to help combat dryness and prevent tangles.
- If you have temporary hard water you can boil it and consume for general purposes. However, it’s not a permanent solution. Temporary hard water contains calcium bicarbonate that can be precipitated after boiling.
- If you have soap scum issues along plumbing fixtures, you can use hard water cleaning agent. You can clean sinks, drains, tiles, shower doors, and tubs.
- Similarly, if you have hard water so it’s best to use washing soda while doing the laundry. It’s a chemical that consists of carbonic acid salt that helps soft both temporary and permanent hardness.
- Still need Plumbers Tulsa services? Call our team today!
One of the many companies we’ve had the pleasure of serving faithfully over the years is Paul Davis Corporate – Restoration and Emergency Service Provider. Learn more about them today! Discover how a great company can help you with Plumbers Tulsa repairs.
Fun Fact:
On About Us | Plumbing Tulsa | Acts of Service Plumbing, you’ll find how our owner Rick Hudson overcame his early plumbing challenges. Learn more about our leaders and team. We stand by our promises and that is one reason to give us a call for Plumbers Tulsa services.