Do I Need a Water Softener?
What is hard water and why is it bad?
Hard water is water with excess amounts of minerals and metals like calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, chlorine, and/or sulfates in it. It can cause staining and limescale buildup in your plumbing system, on your fixtures, in your appliances, and on your dishes. While the staining can usually be removed with bleach mixtures, the limescale can damage your plumbing, leading to expensive repairs down the road.
As limescale builds up, it clogs pipes, making it more difficult for the system to push water through and making water heaters less efficient, ultimately costing you more money. When hard water is left unaddressed for long enough, the scale wears down the metal components of your plumbing, causing holes and leaks that result in the need to replace your water heater or the pipes throughout your home.
Signs
If your sinks, toilets, showers, or tubs have yellow to brown staining, that can be a symptom of hard water. If you see white, chalky or flaky buildup, known as limescale, on your fixtures, you almost certainly have hard water. Limescale buildup is usually noticed around showerheads, faucets, or on the working parts in the back of your toilet.
Hard water can also cause chemical reactions with soaps, preventing lathering by solidifying the soap into soap scum. It can affect your clothes in the washer machine, causing unpleasant smells and discoloration. Water that tastes different or tastes chlorinated can also be a sign of hard water.
If your water and electricity bills are going up, that can be a sign that your plumbing isn’t running efficiently, which may be due to hard water.
Tests
Having a professional, like Service Pros Plumbing, come out and test your water is the most surefire way to be sure of whether or not you need a water softener. A professional test ensures that your water is tested for the full array of minerals and metals that might be abundant in your water. We can also help you choose and install a water softener to correct the problem if it is needed.
You can also buy a water test kit from a hardware store to see if you nee a water softener, then contact a professional if you need one. Some tests will have you send a water sample in to be tested.
Call Service Pros Plumbing today and we can schedule an appointment to get your water tested and see if installing a water softener is the right choice for you and your home.
