Are you finding water spots on your dishware and glassware right after they come out of the dishwasher? Or even after they are thoroughly hand-washed? Your hands may still feel dirty or coated even after scrubbing them with soap. You may find stains on your clothes caused by the washing machine itself. Low water pressure and slow-draining pipes tend to get worse over time. And all of these things are signs you may have hard water in your home.
The longer you have hard water, the more damage it can cause to your pipes. This is because mineral build-up cakes along the inside of the pipes and restricts water flow.
If you’re having issues with water flow in your home, experiencing problems with your pipes, or suspect you have hard water, call the experts at Plumbing by Jake at (888) 628-5890. We will evaluate your water and make recommendations to improve its flow, ensure the safety of your pipes, and test your water.
When You Have Hard Water
When excessive amounts of calcium and magnesium from ground and water supply sources dissolve in your water, it can become “hard water.” The hardness of water can be determined by measuring the amount of calcium carbonate in it. Anything above 61 milligrams per liter is considered hard water.
There are currently no known negative health effects of hard water. But studies are being conducted about the effects of very hard water on everything from skin irritations to cardiovascular disease.
For the most part, it is the damage it causes to pipes, plumbing, and frequently washed items that are most impacted by hard water.
The Problems Caused by Hard Water
From minor irritations to major backups, there are many problems caused by hard water.
Spotty and Cloudy Dishes and Glassware
No matter how many times you run your dishes, glasses, and silverware through the dishwasher or scrub them by hand, they never seem to get clean. When water gets on your bathroom mirrors, it leaves a film that is nearly impossible to clean. This is because minerals in hard water stick stubbornly to surfaces and make them dull.
Dirty Clothes
Soap and detergents do not dissolve well in hard water. This can mean your clothes aren’t getting fully clean when you wash them. It can leave residue on clothes as well. When washed for long periods of time in hard water, clothes stain, fade, and wear out more quickly. They can also feel rough or unwashed.
Irritated Skin
Since hard water does not properly break down soap and cleansers, they aren’t fully removed from your skin. The remaining residue can clog pores and remove moisture from your skin. Washing with hard water can even cause eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis or make existing conditions worse.
Damage to Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Appliances
Anything routinely coated in hard water is going to feel its effects. Kitchen sinks, bathtubs, showerheads, dishwashers, coffee makers, toilets, and even your car, if you wash it at home, can be affected by hard water. What can start with a layer of dull film can eventually stain, erode, and corrode.
Clogged Pipes
The high mineralization content of hard water leads to rock-hard, chalky limescale inside of pipes. The longer that hard water flows through pipes, the thicker the build-up becomes. This restricts the flow of water through your pipes and can lead to damaging clogs.
How a Water Softener Can Help Your Pipes
Installing a water softener will not rapidly remove the build-up currently in your pipes. It takes many years for the inside of pipes to develop clogs due to mineralization buildup. If you continue to let hard water run through your pipes, the blockages will eventually get worse.
When you install a water softening system, it will stop your pipes from clogging any further due to hard water residue scale. The limescale will gradually begin clearing out as softer water consistently runs through your pipes.
Other Benefits of Installing a Water Softener
In addition to halting and gradually reversing the buildup of minerals lining the walls of your pipes, having a water softener installed can solve many other issues. For instance, it can:
- Give you sparkling clean glassware, dishes, and silverware
- Help you use less dishwashing soap or detergent to get dishes clean
- Clean your clothes to help them look and feel nicer and last longer
- Help you use less laundry detergent to get clothes clean
- Leave you with cleaner, healthier skin and hair
- Reduce stubborn, unsightly residue and/or damage to bathrooms, kitchens, and appliances
Schedule Your Hard Water Evaluation Today
Call the specialists at Plumbing by Jake at (888) 628-5890 for a water evaluation. We can tell if you have hard water and if it has damaged your pipes. We can also help you find a water softener solution, if necessary.
We will walk you through your options and, if something else is causing plumbing issues in your home, we can diagnose and fix that too! All our work is backed by our 5-Star service guarantee. We do whatever we need to do to make sure you’re happy with the results of the job we’ve done.