Hard water is water with an excessive concentration of calcium and magnesium. This causes the water to leave deposits on any and every surface. So, it is definitely not ideal for use, so a water softer installation is recommended in this case. Here is why hard water is bad for you and your home.

Levels Of Hardness In Water

Hard water is not just one level of calcium and magnesium in the water. There can be certain levels of hardness in water.

The water can be slightly hard if the calcium and magnesium ion concentration is less than 100 parts per million or ppm. This water is safe to use and it is only slightly hard, so the major effects of hard water that you usually see won’t be visible in this water type.

Next, there is regular hard water, in which the hardness-causing ions are present in concentrations from 100 to 150 ppm. This water is hard and it will be hard to produce lather.

Lastly, very hard water has concentrations of calcium and magnesium exceeding 200 ppm. This water is borderline bitter to taste and it will be very harsh on dishes, clothes, and even your skin and hair. So, you definitely want to employ water softening treatments and methods to get rid of this degree of hardness.

Speaking of levels, they can be found out by running tests on water or you can get your local water lab to conduct tests on a sample of water from home. There are also at-home kits available for testing the hardness of water and those can be used to find out the hardness level too.

Disadvantages Of Hard Water

So, now that you know what the different levels of hardness the water can have, the next thing you want to know is the various roadblocks hard water can throw in your day-to-day work. These things might not seem very serious, but they can really hinder your workflow and they can make brand new things and appliances break down. So, knowing the disadvantages of hard water is very important.

Clogged Pipes

First things first, hard water will affect your pipes extremely badly. Pipes are mediums through which water flows and whether you have regular pipes or even drain pipes or water heater pipes, this is going to become a huge problem.

Pipes are already quite narrow and the hardness-causing ions will stick to the walls of said pipes and they will further clog the pipe, making it impossible for water to flow freely. This will cause water flow problems and it can even lead to cracks and bursts, which is not what you want. Moreover, hard water can cause limescale buildup on your sinks and faucets as well.

Stained Clothes

One thing that you should definitely keep away from contact with hard water is your clothes, especially delicate clothes like cashmere and embroidered clothes that are meant to be washed carefully. Hard water and the ions of calcium and magnesium will ruin the clothes by blotching them with stains and that is not what you want.

You might think that stains will be easy to remove, but they just might prove you wrong. Hard water stains are very stubborn and in removing them, you can essentially ruin your clothes, which will lead to a double whammy of problems.

Dishes Are Not Safe

As clothes are not safe from the wrath of hard water, neither aren’t dishes, especially your delicate and expensive China and glassware. Calcium and magnesium deposits on the glassware as a white, yellow scaly substance, known as scale and it is very hard to remove. It makes the glassware and the rest of the dishes look dull, not shiny at all and they will also render the material brittle.

So, hard water is a nightmare for your cutlery and utensils. You want to ensure that you’re not using hard water to wash them, otherwise your things might be ruined and there is no way to turn things back around.

Hard water is as bad for dishes and appliances as contaminated water is bad for your health. For contaminated water, you use a water filtration system Erie, while for hard water, you should get a water softener.

Itchy Skin

Just like the rest of the things, your own skin will also fall victim to the problems posed by hard water. Hard water has a lot of calcium and magnesium in it and it makes the water pH all sorts of weird.

Your skin is used to neutral water pH, but if you shock it with hard water, then you will experience very dry and itchy skin, and there will be a slimy layer on top of your skin which won’t be easy to rub off and you just won’t get that clean feeling you get when you take a shower with regular water. Furthermore, people with skin allergies know that hard water and eczema is a bad combination.

Dry Hair

On the topic of showers, your hair might also become a victim of hard water and its associated issues. Hair is a very sensitive subject for a lot of people and you try to use the best of the best products to keep your hair feeling amazing.

Well, one spray of hard water and everything will go down the drain. Your scalp will be very irritated, your hair will feel greasy, dandruff will be the norm and you just won’t be able to get your old hair back, which was shiny, silky, and smooth.

No Lather

Hard water is the enemy of soap. How so, you ask? Well, you will spend a whole bar of soap and a lot of time, but it just won’t produce the thick and luscious lather that you want. This is actually also a great way to test whether you have hard water in your taps or not. You want to take some soap and make lather with it.

If it produces thick lather, then your water is soft, and if it doesn’t produce a lot of lather, then your water is relatively hard. The fats in the soap react with the hardness-causing ions and this is what leads to no lather.

Detergent Wastage

While on the topic of lather, hard water will also lead to a lot of wastage of detergent. Just like soap, detergent also produces enough lather and the lather is what is responsible for cutting through the grease and getting rid of stains, whether it be washing clothes or dishes.

So, if there is no lather in the detergent and the water is not producing any, even after you’ve added a lot of detergent. Hard water will only cause wastage and nothing else. Also, it will produce soap scum, which is just as disgusting as it sounds.

Appliances Breaking Down

This is a very big disadvantage and it is the breaking down of appliances. If some of your appliances, like dishwasher, washing machines, coffee machines and refrigerator filters, use water, and if they are being filled with hard water, then it is only a matter of time before the pipes and important connections get clogged and the appliance breaks down or gets seriously damaged. That’ll be a regret like no other.

Conclusion

Hard water is practically unusable and you don’t want to throw yourself into another problem when dealing with hard water. So, it is better that you install a water softener system Warren and get rid of the hardness.