Hard Truths About Hard Water
October 3, 2018
Have you ever wondered why water heaters and dishwashers can’t work past a couple of years? There is very simple answer to this question. However, it may be frustrating. When rain water falls, it is known to by naturally soft. But when this water makes its way around to the ground or in the water ways, then minerals like magnesium, calcium, lime and chalk are added on.
When they are boiled down, the major difference between soft and hard water is that they perform differently in household chores. Americans regularly notice dingy clothes and residue on their dishes and bathtubs which end up feeling sticky.
Texas is an area with extremely hard water, which is exactly why the residents here need to contend to its hard water realities too. All of these truths have been noticed by plumbers in Katy, TX and their experiences have been compiled in this article. So let’s get right to them.
The Pain of Plumbing
Hard water is known to have higher levels of magnesium and calcium. These minerals have been found by plumbers in Katy, TX to build up in appliances and plumbing pipes. This means that their lifespan and efficiency get shortened.
Plumbers in Katy, TX use a grains-per-gallon rating system. In areas of hard water, a figure above 7 is quite hard! There are also some areas which can see levels which go up to as much as 20 or even higher. These plumbers have also seen some older homes which have galvanized plumbing pipes that have considerable magnesium and calcium build-ups. This goes to such extent that the water can no longer penetrate the extensive scale formations in these pipes.
Fortunately for some new homeowners, they have copper or PEX piping installed – which means that the buildup inside these pipes is not as severe. However, it can still be quite hard on their bath fixtures, showers and faucets and an unsightly film can be seen building on them. This, as you may have guessed, also shortens their lifecycle.
Appliances that use water in their operation start working less efficiently with hard water. These include coffee makers, water heaters and dish washers. There are so many more appliances that can get significantly damaged, as hard scales form over their heating components and causes them to malfunction.
It was also found by plumbers in Katy, TX that instantaneous gas heaters had different lifecycles when working with hard and soft water. Soft water was found to be creating 10.3% more savings for these appliances as opposed to their use with hard waters.
Mineral Misunderstandings
Plumbers in Katy, TX often get asked about whether calcium and magnesium in their water may be good for their health. This is quite a serious misconception. The organic versions of both these minerals may actually be great for health, but the ones that are found in hard water are inorganic. These minerals are nothing more than scale debris from salt and they have no nutritional benefits at all.
What About Skin and Clothes?
Hard water minerals are also known to interfere with the cleaning actions that are performed by detergents and soaps. This was noted by plumbers in Katy, TX, results in people using more amounts of these cleaning products because the results aren’t the same as they would be in soft water.
Even major manufacturer of appliances has noticed this problem and therefore recommend all consumers of their products to install water softeners as the only practical solution. Water softeners produce a chemical reaction called ‘ion exchange’ and draws out all the magnesium and calcium from the water.
Hard water is also known by people to shorten the life of fabrics by close to 30% and can even fade some items in the laundry. Even a soapy scum or residue of sorts is left behind on clothing or fibers. As you may have imagined, it does the same for skin and results in dry and itchy skin.
Plumbers in Katy, TX found that soft water that is used in laundry machines results in less expenditure and better stain removal. They even noticed that atleast 50% lesser quantities of all consumer products provided better results.
The Soft Water Solution
If you wish to increase the lifetime of your appliance and pay fewer bills for repairs, then the soft water solution can bring you some real cost savings. This can be done because soft water needs less help with appliances. The use of cleaning agents and soaps in your home can be reduced to about two-thirds the amount being used now.
Other than this, plumbers in Katy, TX guarantee that clothes will last longer than they do right now because of the mineral deposits eating away at their materials. Even the energy costs are known to go down because hard water flows slower through the plumbing system or water heaters. Other than this, grooming and bathing would have been made easier. Even the fixtures used in the bathrooms and kitchens of these homes are able to stay clean with soft and conditioned water.
How Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg Can Help
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing had noticed how water contains a lot of impurities and micro-organism, which not only causes damages to the home, but also cause diseases and ailments. There are still a lot of people out there that have not installed in-house water treatment systems. This is exactly why Benjamin Franklin’s plumbers in Katy, TX can help people who are ready to use clear, crisp and soft water in their homes.
If you want to call our plumbers in Katy, TX, then you should go ahead and call (281) 869-3955 or visit our website. Our lines are open 24/7 and we guarantee our clients 100% satisfaction.