For homeowners who live in an area with hard water, the virtues of using a water softener are unparalleled. Not only is hard water a nuisance, spotting dishes and cookware, but it can eventually lead to serious damage for home equipment that uses water, such as a water heater. If you don’t yet have a water softener, or you’re in need of an upgrade, consider how such a system could help you avoid a multitude of problems.
Hard water is comprised of minerals that you generally can’t see during water usage, but still manage to create visible spots on your glassware or dishes.These minerals also create a type of “magnet” that attracts soap and shampoo, leading to buildup on sinks, tubs and showers.
If you drink your tap water, those minerals also make their way into your body. If you pour some hard water into a glass, you most likely will not see anything harmful. However, if you consider that for every three or so litres of water, there is the equivalent of two aspirin pills worth of minerals, it’s almost unpleasant to think about how much mineral buildup would occur if you were to drink that much water every day over the course of the year. Yet, that’s what happens in homes with hard water.
Hard water can also cause significant problems to occur in your water pipes, and in home equipment that uses water. Calcium and magnesium carbonates leach out of the water, adhering to metal and other materials. If this buildup is left unchecked on the heating element of a boiler, for example, it will eventually inhibit the flow of water through pipes, and could even cause the system to break down.
Finally, hard water can also increase your energy bills. As mineral deposits begin to insulate the tank, they prevent heat from reaching the water. The system’s efficiency is greatly decreased as a result.
Water softeners are a low-cost and easy-to-install solution to the problems that hard water can cause. If you have concerns regarding hard water in your household, contact the expert plumbing technicians at Arpi’s Industries. We can help you upgrade your current water softener, or select one to suit your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water softeners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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