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Water Problems
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Water Treatment
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Hardness
The hardness of water basically depends on the amount of dissolved calcium
and magnesium present in the water. If these minerals are not removed from
the water supply, they can cause many problems. Even a slight increase in
temperature can cause these minerals to create scales in cold water piping.
The problem gets worse when heated in water heaters, boilers, and other appliances.
The dissolved calcium and magnesium will then chemically react with soaps,
detergents, and shampoos to create an insoluble residue that is deposited
on glassware, fixtures, hair, and skin.
The level of hardness in water is usually expressed as grains
per gallon (gpg) or milligrams per liter (mg/l).
Hard water manifests itself in many ways in the home. The
first indication of hard water is usually the unsightly scum that forms
when soap or detergents are added to the water. More soap is required
when doing laundry and dishes. Soap scum deposits on clothing cause graying
of whites and loss of brightness in colored fabrics. Washing clothing
in hard water can cut back the life of the clothing by 35%. It can damage
the washing machine over time, costing money for repairs.
Hard water will leave deposits on everything it touches. It requires more
time and money to clean with hard water because, the harder you clean,
the more the deposits build up. For example, many people are familiar
with the gray ring of soap scum that forms around the tub. Would you believe
soft water leaves no ring? Soft water doesn’t form soap scum, so there
is no film to remove from your bathtub and other fixtures.
The same soap scum that you see in your tub from hard water is also deposited
on your skin and hair when you bathe or shower in it. This can cause dry skin,
brittle hair, skin irritation and clogged pores.
The calcium and magnesium will be absorbed by foods you cook in the water.
Vegetables boiled in hard water will shrink and become tough. Cooked in
soft water, foods are more tender and appetizing.
When scale builds up in a water heater or boiler, it can boost heating bills
by as much as 20%. Even worse, the scaling acts as an insulator creating hot
spots that will weaken and eventually burn out heating elements. It also builds
up in pipes reducing water flow.
Hard water just isn’t clean water, and costs you money. The best way to
deal with it is install a water
softener.
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