While it’s not often we think about the hardness of our water, it plays a vital role in our everyday life. By installing a water softener, you can significantly improve your quality of life and save yourself some money.
How It Works
To remove the minerals from hard water, water softeners utilize ion exchange. This occurs when water is passed through the mineral tank, which contains negatively charged resin beads. The calcium and magnesium in hard water are positively charged, so they attract the negative beads as they pass through the tank. The minerals then get stuck on the beads as the water leaves, making them softer as it flows into your home.
Benefits
Reduces Plumbing Wear and Tear
Hard water can take a toll on the pipes in your plumbing system. This is because the high amounts of calcium, magnesium, or other minerals found in hard water will build up in your pipes like cholesterol and other fatty deposits do in arteries. This accumulation of minerals will eventually reduce the amount of room that water has to flow through your pipes. The decreased volume of water leads to water turbulence which can damage your home’s pipes and lead to blockages and leaks.
Using a water softener can decrease the number of minerals found in your water. This means you can avoid buildup in your pipes, and your home will require fewer piping repairs and replacements.
Extend Appliance Life
The minerals found in hard water don’t just affect your pipes; they can affect your water appliances too. Buildup harms your water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines much in the same way that they hurt your plumbing. However, because these appliances use hot water, this can expedite the process causing more frequent problems.
Reduces Energy Bill
Buildup won’t just attack your wallet through costly repair and replacements; it will also raise your electricity costs. This happens because the minerals in hard water require more energy to heat the water. The more power your appliance needs to reach the desired temperature, the higher your bill.
Makes Cleaning Easier
Installing a water softener is a great way to improve the cleanliness of your dishes, clothing, and even yourself. The calcium and magnesium found in hard water combine with the salt found in soap and detergent to create soap scum. This mixture will stain bathtubs and toilet bowls, damage your clothes, produce buildup in your hair and leave a film on your dishes.
Can Prevent Dry, Itchy Skin
Hard water doesn’t just hurt your hair; it can affect your skin too. The soap scum created by the combination of minerals and soap can clog your pores and make it harder to wash the soap off. When your pores become clogged, your skin will dry out and become flaky and irritable. This will also lead to acne, skin blemishes, and in severe cases, dermatitis.
Makes Water Taste Better
Water is a highly critical part of living a healthy and happy life, so having water that you like the taste of is important. While everyone has different tastes, the metallic flavor that comes from the minerals, fluoride, chloramine, or other natural or chemical additives in hard water is often considered less favorable than the taste of soft water.
The Right Team for the Job
Don’t allow hard water to make your life more complicated than it has to be! Call (281) 815-2772 to have the experienced plumbers at Pioneer Plumbing and Septic install a water softener in your home and handle any of your other plumbing needs.