If you’ve never heard the term “hard water” before, then you may wonder why it even matters if your home has it. The thing is, it’s not necessarily harmful to you or your household. But, it is potentially harmful to your plumbing system and your quality of life as result.
Hard water is water that has a high level of minerals in it–namely magnesium, calcium, and sometimes iron too. These minerals are harmless to ingest, but cause sediment buildup that can be bad for your drains. But how do you know if your home has hard water? Read on for some telltale signs.
Sign #1: Scale Buildup on Your Plumbing Fixtures and Appliances
This is typically a pretty clear sign of hard water presence. Mineral deposits will start showing up on your faucets, showerheads, and even on appliances that use water like your dishwasher or your coffee pot. The build-up is unsightly, for one, but can also cause your water to taste bad, and can cause eventual clogs and corrosion within your plumbing pipes.
Sign #2: You Notice Dry Skin and Hair after Drying Off from a Shower
Because of the excess minerals present in hard water, taking a shower under these conditions can ultimately leave both your skin and your hair feeling dry and brittle. This is because that water is not able to nourish your skin and hair as well, and residue from your soap and shampoo isn’t able to dissolve as it should either.
Sign #3: Faded Clothes
Some clothes simply fade over time no matter what you do. But if you notice that everything you seem to put through your washing machine is fading far faster than it should, hard water can absolutely be to blame.
What happens is that the mineral buildup strips the color away from your clothes faster than treated water would. You might even notice that your clothes, bedding, and whatever else you wash comes out feeling scratchy after being dried–no matter how much fabric softener or how many dryer sheets you use.
Sign #4: Your Sinks and Bathtubs Are Stained
The mineral residue that’s leftover from hard water can begin staining your sinks and bathtubs. It’s easy to clean off, for the most part–but why would you want to clean your bathroom every day? You shouldn’t have to deal with this or any of the above-mentioned issues.
The Solution to Hard Water
The solution to hard water problems in your home is the installation of a whole-house water softener. Installed at the main water line, a whole-house water softener treats all the water that comes into your home and is distributed throughout the various plumbing fixtures and appliances. Contact us today to learn more about this and the other water treatment systems we install and service!
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment for the installation of a water softener in Cedar Falls, IA, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online.