If you see rings in your bathtub, spots on your dishes or buildup around shower heads and faucets, your home is probably using hard water. Don’t feel alone. 85% of the homes in the U.S. have hard water. While it doesn’t pose a health hazard, and in some instances may actual contribute a small amount of our daily dietary requirement of calcium and magnesium, hard water can be a costly problem. Here are 4 problems caused by hard water.
Higher Energy Bills
It takes more energy to heat hard water, and since water heaters can account for up to 25% of a home’s monthly heating bill, you can see how quickly this can add up. By some estimates, hard water can increase your energy bill by as much as 29%. You can make your water heater more efficient by installing a water softener. A water softener absorbs potentially harmful minerals in your water and prevents them from being introduced into your pipes and appliances.
Mineral Build-up
Hard water contains a higher concentration of minerals than soft water which can build up inside water pipes, faucets, and shower heads. This build-up can significantly reduce the interior diameter of water pipes, particularly hot water pipes, and cause water flow problems. In addition, these mineral buildups can increase the frequency and severity of clogs. This added stress on your water pipes can also result in breaks.
Laundry
Hard water presents a number of issues in the laundry room. For one thing, clothes washed in hard water tend to come out looking dingy and harsh feeling against your skin. Fabrics do not react well when exposed to the high levels of calcium and magnesium that are found in hard water. Clothes washed in hard water will break down quicker as fibers are weakened. If you want your clothing to retain its vibrancy and stay in your closet longer, you should invest in a water softening system. You will not only save your clothes from unnecessary damage but you could cut the amount of detergent and hot water you use since more laundry soap and higher water temperatures are needed when you are washing clothes in hard water.
Hair and Skin
If hard water is tough on clothes, imagine what it’s doing to your skin and hair. The minerals in hard water make it more difficult for detergents to break down which is why clothes don’t look clean and dishes have spots. The same is true for soaps and shampoos. Not being able to get all of the soap or detergent rinsed off can leave a residue causes itchy skin and rough, dull looking hair.
Wear and Tear on Appliances
Hard water leaves household appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines operating less efficiently and in some cases can actually reduce their lifespans by half. When your appliances aren’t performing up to expectations mineral buildup, passed on to appliances via water pipes, is often the cause of the problem. These minerals can damage components and increase the need for service calls. When you weigh the cost of a water softening system against the need to replace expensive household appliances earlier than expected, you can see the value in switching to soft water.