Yes, it does! Most of us know that we prefer soft water since it feels better on our skin, in our hair, and we tend to use less soap. Rarely do we give any thought as to the difference between hard water versus soft water; nor, do we spend much time worrying about the potential damage of using hard water. Perhaps we should give it some of our attention.
Simply put, hard water is water that has a high mineral content, in contrast to soft water which does not. There is a lot of chemistry that we could go into here relative to the concentration of positively charged metal complexes, ions that enter the water supply from common minerals containing primarily calcium and magnesium sulfates. Rainwater and distilled water are soft because they contain few ions.
It is important to note that there has been no correlation between drinking hard water and human illness. However, hard water can seriously damage machinery and equipment that handle the water. This could also negatively affect your home’s piping, boiler, water heater, and other plumbing fixtures. Therefore, wherever water hardness is a concern, most homes and businesses install modern water softeners to help combat its effects.
Hard water forms deposits (like soap scum) that clog plumbing. These deposits build up on the surfaces of pipes and heat exchangers, resulting in restricting the flow of water in pipes or causing corrosion. For the maintenance and safety of your plumbing system, you may want to have your local plumbing professional test the hardness of your water and, if necessary, look into various softening options.
