Do you notice scaling or residue on your faucets and fixtures? Does your soap fail to lather and leave behind a film on your hands and stain your clothing? Are your appliances suffering from a shorter lifespan than they should? Hard water can lead to all of these things due to an elevated mineral content. These minerals, like calcium and magnesium, impact anything that the water comes into contact with. When your water is hard, it will function differently and even taste and smell different.
Softened water has been treated for hardness, and it is also more delicious to drink. Water softeners allow you to reduce the hardness level and ensure a long life for your clothing, your plumbing fixtures and all of your appliances that use water. Understanding how water softeners work can help you to know whether or not one could help transform your water.
How Do Water Softeners Work?
Calcium and magnesium are positively charged ions that are present in your water, and they contribute to water hardness levels. Your water softener is hooked up to your water line and has a mineral tank that is filled with negatively charged resin beads. When the water that is rich with calcium and magnesium enters the water, they will stick to the beads instead of staying in the water. The salty brine inside of the tank forces this to occur, and positive sodium ions will enter the water in place of the minerals that were once there. This is why water that is treated for hardness can sometimes have elevated levels of sodium.
Through regeneration, your water softener will make sure that new water is constantly being prepared for your use. Water softeners work around the clock to make sure that you have clean, safe water that will not cause extra stress for your appliances. They are very easy to maintain, and the benefits vastly outweigh the downsides of hard water.
What Appliances Can Be Damaged By Hard Water?
Water heaters are particularly prone to damage from water is hard. Hot water encourages minerals like calcium and magnesium to harden, so the minerals can rapidly accumulate inside of your water heater or another appliance that uses hot water, like a coffee machine or dishwasher. When there are heating elements involved, the minerals can accumulate on them and decrease their efficacy and lifespan. When you have a bad case of hard water, you might be able to hear a popping sound inside of your water heater from them accumulating on the heating element.
How Can Hard Water Impact Your Clothes and Dishes?
Hard water can be hard on your washing machine, but it can also be hard on your clothing and linens. Because it does not rinse the same way and has trouble turning soap into suds, your clothing will have additional wear and tear and not get as clean as it should. White clothing, particularly undershirts and socks, is very vulnerable to hard water. You might think that using more detergent or rinsing extra could help offset the damage of hard water, but that isn’t the case. In the same way that hard water makes it challenging to clean your clothes effectively, it can also do the same to your dishes.
Beyond your clothes and dishes, hard water can also leave behind soap scum on you! Hard water will not thoroughly rinse away soap and shampoo, which can leave your hair feeling like there is residue left behind on it and even irritate your skin. Some people who are prone to skin conditions like eczema can also have flare-ups due to hard water, as the soap will not rinse off cleanly and instead leave a film behind. To get the most out of all of the soaps that you use around the house, you should invest in a water softener. We can walk you through how water softeners work and connect you with the perfect one for you. No two homes are alike, so the water softener that is right for your well might not be the same as one that works well for a home with municipal water.
Replace Your Water Softener and Enjoy Delicious Water with Hague Quality Water of Maryland
The Hague WaterMax® System is a premier water softener that is fully customizable and designed with precision, giving you and your family the peace of mind you deserve. Its multi-compartment media tank allows us to place different kinds of media in a single tank that will filter out any harmful contaminants that may be lurking in your water. Coming with a 25-year limited manufacturers warranty, the Hague WaterMax® System is capable of doing the job of 4 or more pieces of equipment another company may offer you. Get the water you deserve by contacting our water treatment specialists today!
Concerned about social distancing? We now offer a contactless water kit for just $200 that will provide you with the water test results you need to determine your next steps in the water treatment process. To learn more and to purchase your contactless water testing kit, click here.
For all of your water testing and water treatment needs, Hague Quality Water of Maryland is on your side. Call us today at (410) 757-2992.
