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Here are some telltale indications to help you catch signs of hard water before it becomes a big problem
Ever complained about those disgusting thick white deposits in the kitchen and bathroom? If so, you are likely dealing with hard water. Hard water is water that has high levels of calcium and magnesium in it. The quality of water used at home can have significant effects on everyday life. Knowing that you are exposed to hard water can help take proper preventive measures. Here are the five warning signs of hard water:
Spots on Utensils
- Hard water is loaded with minerals. Calcium and magnesium specifically are troublesome. These minerals don’t stay in solution form and try to turn back into their hard form. In doing so, the minerals bond with the surfaces that come in contact with them, thus creating scales and deposits. These deposits can be detected most on showerheads and pots.
Soap doesn’t lather up well in the hard water. As a result, spots appear on the utensils even when they are clean and dry. The white scum that appears on the pots after water is boiled is the hard minerals that have come out of the solution.
Limescale on the Water Heater
- Water heating appliances can also give away the signs of hard water. The job of the water heater is heating water. As the water heats the molecular activity speeds up. This makes calcium and magnesium come out of the solution much faster.
The limescale adheres to the heating elements. The efficiency of the water heater is reduced drastically because now it has to heat through the scale that accumulates on those heating elements.
Clogged Showerheads
- The other thing that can be watched for the signs of hard water is showerheads. That is probably the most visual example to see the effects of hard water. As the water blows through the nozzle of the showerhead, minerals come out of the solution.
If the showerhead looks white and filmy, that means that hardness is scaling the shower head up. It won’t be long before it starts clogging some of those spray nozzles. This will result in insufficient water pressure.
Dry Skin and Hair
When you’re dealing with hard water, the minerals get into the skin pores and hair. This makes the skin dry and increases the need for moisturizers. Research shows that hard water worsens the skin conditions like eczema. Hair is almost always sticky and greasy, even after washing them.
Hard water can also bond with soaps and detergents to create scum. This makes it difficult to make lather or to wash off the soapy feeling while bathing. There’s always light, white, and cloudy film on the bathtub sink and in the bathroom.
Clothes Feel Scratchy
- The hard minerals get in the fabric of clothing. It turns the colors dingy and also hardens the texture. There’s a stiffness to the fabric because of hard water. It requires more washing powder to clean your clothes. Freshly washed clothes may feel scratchy on the skin. With soft water, colors stay vibrant, clothes last longer, and feel soft to the skin.
The best way to deal with hardness is the water softener. It takes the minerals like calcium and magnesium out of the water and saves the cost of wear and tear on your appliances. Having a water softener allows you to not have these issues in the future.
- If you are all set for installing a water softener in your home, call us at 832-772-5501. Or get in touch with our Proline Plumbing team to have your plumbing issues fixed. We are located in Houston, Texas.