FindLocal-Plumber

A vast majority of American homes, about 4 out of 5, have hard water. While some cities may claim some softening of their water, no city really provides soft water for their consumers. Many people have older water purification systems that they’ve just never felt the need to upgrade or, for that matter, even test as to its effectiveness. Unfortunately, water is something that most of us simply take for granted.

If you want to determine if you have hard water in your home, here are some signs that you can look for. With hard water, it feels difficult to get a lather worked up on a dish cloth or bath cloth from your bar of soap or liquid dish detergent; however, it will usually leave a scum-type appearance on top of your water or along the side of your sink. One of the first places to look for this white scum-like substance would be your showerhead; check to see if there is a build-up of white, crusty, material. Does your kitchen sprayer not work because of white, encrusted, mineral build-up? Also, look inside your dishwasher to see if the heating element is encrusted with minerals.

If you suspect that your home has hard water, you may want to call your local plumbing professional to test your water and check your overall plumbing system for any damage or corrosion. While a good water company can test the hardness of your water, they may also come with a convincing sales pitch for their particular water softening or refining product.  Your plumber should be able to help you narrow down the options as to what would be most beneficial and cost effective water softener for your home.

Hard water contains minerals which can damage appliances and detract from the beauty of your plumbing fixtures over time. The mineral scale from hard water can build up in the water lines of your refrigerator and inside your dishwasher, in the bowl of your toilets and around your faucets. Hard water scale can also dull the appearance of your bathtub, shower surround or vanity sinks. If your hard water contains iron, the orange stain can build up on your plumbing fixtures, in your appliances and even discolor your clothing when it is washed. Hard water can also cause a build up in your hair that diminishes the shine and softness.

Installation of a water softener or a water filtration system to protect your appliances and fixtures from damage caused by hard water is an investment that easily pays for itself in retaining the value and beauty of the fixtures installed in your home. Filtering out the minerals will also improve the taste of your water, which can affect the taste of beverages like coffee that is made from your tap water.

Selecting the proper softener or filtration system for your home should be done after testing the water for hardness level and the iron levels. Once a system has been selected that will adequately filter the minerals from your water, a licensed plumber can install the filtration or softener system. Be sure to have the functions, settings and maintenance of the system explained to you once the installation is complete. Like any appliance, it must be operated properly to perform the its job adequately.