How Hard Water Affects Your Plumbing

We want to help homeowners do what they can to prevent major damage to their plumbing systems and keep water moving through the pipes with ease. This week, we want to tell you about a common issue that can wreak havoc unexpectedly on a plumbing system: hard water. Call our plumbers to learn more, and read on for our expert advice.

What Is Hard Water?

“Hard water” simply means that there are minerals in your water. Most commonly, these minerals are calcium and magnesium. There are some easy ways to tell if you have hard water in your home.

Hard water can leave mineral deposits, or scale, behind on faucets or drains. You’ve likely noticed a white chalky buildup in these areas before. In addition, soap scum is common because soap has trouble dissolving in the presence of these minerals. You might notice water spots on dishes or residue in the laundry.

Thankfully, hard water rarely has any effect on one’s health whatsoever. How it affects your pipes and your most important appliances, however, is a different story.

What Can It Do to Your Plumbing?

Those same scale deposits you see on the faucet or building up around the drain are in your pipes too. And that’s a problem. With no way to clean the insides of the pipes, these deposits continue to build up and will eventually restrict the volume of water in the pipes.

You may need to replace the pipes way sooner than you would otherwise if these minerals start to block water from flowing through the pipes. You might also have to replace water heaters, dishwashers, and coffeemakers way too soon.

Water Softeners Protect You and Your Home

A water softener can protect your plumbing system from thousands of dollars in damages. It takes the minerals out of the water and replaces them with sodium ions. Whole-house water softeners are installed where the water supply meets your home to get minerals out of your entire incoming water supply.

Contact Mark Lindsay and Son Plumbing & Heating Inc for water softeners and more in Clifton, NJ.