According to the WQA (Water Quality Association), the most common problem reported by consumers throughout the US is hard water. According to a U.S. Geological Survey, hard water is present in more than 85% of the country. Yikes!
What causes hard water
More than 60% of the earth’s water is groundwater. As it travels through soil and rock, it picks up minerals (including magnesium and calcium) along the way. These two contaminants (calcium and magnesium) produce hardness in water. Generally, hardness is measured in grains per gallon (gpg). For example, if a water test indicates a range of 1.0 to 3.5 gpg, the water is considered slightly hard. If the measurement is greater than 10.5 gpg, the water is rated as being very hard.
How to know if you have hard water
- Clogged pipes and appliances is a common sign of hard water. Hard water mineral deposits can build up in pipes or plumbing equipment, coffee makers, and more. You may notice a reduced water flow.
- You may notice a film on their shower tiles or bathtubs, or even on yourself. The film that is left often results in additional scrubbing and scouring of the affected fixtures, and can cause hair to be dull and limp, and dry the skin. Also, your water heating costs could increase as a result of hard water. Hard water mineral deposits can form an insulating barrier between the heating element and the water to be heated.
- The calcium and magnesium in hard water negatively act on many detergents and soaps causing a reduction in their cleaning capabilities. The soapy residue they form can be abrasive and reduce the life of clothing.
How to solve your hard water problem
To solve the problem of hard water in your home, filtration will be the most effective approach. By investing in a water softening system, it will “swap out” the excessive magnesium and calcium (as well as other hard water minerals present) for sodium ions. These ions will decrease the negative effects of hard water in your home.
Three main parts make up water softeners:
- Resin bed: Made up of small bead-like materials. The beads will attract and hold positively charged ions(such as sodium), but will exchange them whenever it encounters another positively charged ion such as magnesium and calcium.
- Resin tank: Contains the resin bed
- Brine tank: Holds the dissolved salt solution that is necessary to “regenerate” the resin (i.e to reverse the ion exchange operation). The salt will force the magnesium and calcium ions to be released, where they are then discharged as waste during the backwashing cycle. The beads will then be ready to once again attract hardness ions from the water.
Chances are you’ll come face to face with hard water and some point in time, but with the right tools, you can reduce the chances of it being a consistent nuisance in your home.