What is Hard Water and How Does it Affect My Home?
Most American homes have hard water. While the term may sound familiar, how well do most people understand what hard water actually is? Knowing what makes water hard is helpful for understanding what kind of effects it can have on your home.
Hard water is water that contains high levels of calcium, magnesium, and trace amounts of other minerals. Mineral accumulation in water happens naturally during the water cycle, and occurs in both well water and city water. Degrees of water hardness vary from state to state, and county to county.
When does hard water become a problem?
General guidelines for classification of waters are:
- 0 to 60 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as calcium carbonate is classified as soft
- 61 to 120 mg/L as moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L as hard
- more than 180 mg/L as very hard
While hard water is technically safe to drink and use for cleaning, the harder water is, the more problematic it can become in terms of quality. Hard water issues can include:
- Unpleasant taste
- Objectionable odor
- Stains in tubs and sinks
- Added strain on water using appliances
- Residue on dishes and in dishwasher
- Scale on faucets
- Clogging build up in pipes
- Stained or rough feeling laundry
- Decreased effectiveness of soap products
Hard water problems go beyond these issues to have a direct impact on your household budget. When heated, hard water can lead to the formation of solid calcium carbonate deposits. These deposits build up and ultimately cause appliances to work less efficiently, thereby raising your energy costs. Appliance service life is also shortened due to excessive wear, which means the expense of replacement will occur more frequently. Similarly, clothes, dishes, and other household items must also be replaced more often.
Hague offers a wide range of product solutions to address hard water issues, improving your water quality and saving you money. Your local Hague Quality Water dealer can stop by to diagnose your water issues. We offer water filtration and softening solutions for any budget. Contact us today to learn more.
