What is hard water?
Hard water is a condition that occurs naturally as water travels through the ground and picks up the chemicals magnesium and calcium. Water hardness levels are measured in grains per gallon or parts per million (PPM). If your water contains even one grain per gallon of these chemicals, you have hard water. The more parts per million, the harder the water.
According to the US Geological Survey, 85% of the water in the United States is hard water. And in the Lake of the Ozarks area, just about everyone has hard water. Though drinking hard water is not considered a health risk, hard water can cause many other problems in your home. It may even be the reason for many skin and hair issues.
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Show Me Water Experts is happy to make an appointment and come to your home to perform a FREE water test checking the hardness of the water in your home.
Symptoms of Hard Water
Soap Scum
Hard water can cause soap scum to build up in sinks, tubs, and showers. Minerals in water mix with soap and create a build-up that clings to surfaces. When water drains, the soap scum stays behind, leaving a nasty-looking film that is not easy to clean.
White Chalky Surfaces
A white chalky buildup is often noticeable where hard water collects and then evaporates, like on shower doors and curtains and around drains. When water evaporates, the dissolved calcium and magnesium are left behind. Like soap scum, it builds up and is hard to remove.
Dull Laundry
If you have hard water, you may have noticed your clothing looks dull after a few washes. It’s especially noticeable with whites. The same soap scum left on surfaces also collects on clothing when washed. This causes clothing that is stiff after drying and it breaks down the fibers in your clothes, shortening their useful life. Changing detergents, adding bleach, or using fabric softeners won’t eliminate the problem either.
Scale in Water Pipes
Just as scale build-up forms on fixtures, it also forms in water pipes. Although you can’t see it, mineral deposits build up inside water pipes and reduce water pressure. In extreme situations, this can lead to pipe replacements and other challenges in your home.
Failed Water-Using Appliances
Scale build-up often affects water-using appliances, especially ones that heat or use heated water, like water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and coffee makers. Scale buildup ruins efficiency and over time can cause complete appliance failure which costs you money in repairs, replacement or increased energy use.
Hair and Skin Problems
Hard water requires more soap and shampoo to get a lather, but then it doesn’t rinse completely from skin or hair. The remaining residue can be irritating and the cause for dry, itchy skin or dull, unmanageable hair. Hard water is especially problematic for colored or treated hair. Special lotions, creams and conditioners are costly, yet they simply mask the problems without taking care of the cause.
How to Treat Hard Water
A water softening system is used to treat hard water. Water softeners use ion exchange to replace the hardness minerals in water (calcium and magnesium ions) with sodium ions to make the water soft. At Show Me Water Experts, we are proud to offer free water testing to identify the level of hardness of your water. If you think you have a problem with hard water, contact Show Me Water Experts for your free water test and quote. We can help you find the specific water softener that is right for your home and find a permanent solution to your hard water problems.
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