If you’re looking for ways to improve your water quality, the first thing to consider is whether you have hard water in your home. When rain falls from the sky, it’s neither hard nor soft. But when rainwater mixes with groundwater, certain minerals are carried along with it; in particular calcium carbonate and magnesium.

While these are beneficial minerals in certain quantities, when excess calcium and magnesium are in your household water, problems can develop. This kind of water is called “hard water.”

The Problems With Hard Water

Here are just some of the problems that can happen when household water is not treated with a softening system.

• Limescale
  You may be familiar with limescale. It’s the hard, white substance left behind from standing hard water. It can build up inside electric water kettles and coffeepots, for instance. Worse, it can build up inside household plumbing fixtures. Unseen, this build-up can accumulate to the point where water flow is impacted, causing chronic clogged drains, pipe erosion, leaks and even burst pipes in worst-case scenarios.
• Laundry Issues
  Hard water doesn’t get clothes clean like it should. This causes laundry issues that may seem like a mystery. A homeowner may blame the washing machine when clothes aren’t getting clean, when it fact it’s very likely due to a hard water problem in the home.
• Dry Skin and Hair
  Hard water is tough on skin and hair, too. For people who already suffer from dry skin or conditions like eczema, hard water makes matters even worse. Every time skin is exposed to hard water through hand washing, showering and bathing, the dry skin condition is worsened.
• Dishwasher Problems
  Since limescale can build up in a home’s plumbing pipes, this impacts how a dishwasher functions, as well. Hard water will make a perfectly good dishwasher much less efficient, and performance levels will drop considerably.

Benefits of Having a Water Softener System in the Home

Soft water is water that’s been treated with softening agents like salt. A household water softener works by filtering out hard minerals like calcium carbonate and magnesium and adds softness to the water before it’s distributed throughout the home.

There are a multitude of benefits of having a water softener in the home, including:

• Longer lifespan on appliances
  Softened water dramatically reduces the wear and tear on all household appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, lawn sprinkler systems, water kettles and more.
• Healthier hair and skin
  Water softening systems ensure that the water used to wash, brush teeth, shower and bathe is free of excess minerals. The results on hair and skin include softer, shinier hair, and more supple skin that doesn’t feel rough and dried out.

Are you ready for a higher quality of water in your home? Knight’s Mechanical can help you determine the most efficient type of softener needed for your home. Contact us today.