What Is Hard Water? A Simple Guide
An astonishing 85% of people in the U.S. use hard water in their homes. You might wonder why this matters. Well, take a look at your faucets or shower head and see if there is a white film of scale build-up.
That is all due to hard water. One of the biggest myths out there is that hard water contains contaminants. All of that scale on your appliances is actually due to high levels of minerals and calcium.
That said, you might want to figure out how to fix this little problem. Keep reading to learn all about hard water and what it means to you.
What Is Hard Water?
It is a good idea to understand what the difference is between hard and soft water. For starters, you might not know what type of water you have at all. You may also wonder what makes water hard or soft.
At its core, hard water is just water that contains large amounts of mineral deposits. As the water travels through the ground, it collects these minerals and calcium, which then runs into our groundwater supply.
If you don’t know what kind of water you have, you can call the local water company. They can either tell you or come out and test your water. However, there are easier ways to spot the presence of hard water.
Look for things like spots or film covering your sink, faucets, shower, or toilets. Hard water will also leave a layer of scum around the faucet head or shower drain.
Water Hardness Levels
There is a scale that laboratories use to measure the hardness of the water. Certain water levels can cause critical damage to the internals of your appliances.
Low hardness levels are riskier because water takes on a more acidic property. The more acidic your water, the more you will suffer deterioration of your plumbing. Therefore, a water hardness scale of about 50 to 120 mg/l is the right amount to keep your faucet internals free of corrosion.
Effects of Hard Water
Contrary to popular belief, hard water does not pose any harmful health risks. Many people think that such a high level of minerals would be detrimental to your health, but this is not the case.
Hard water does cause some undesirable effects, however. These include:
- Dry skin
- Dry/limp hair
- Itchy skin
- Scale build-up/ grime in hair
- Hard, itchy clothes
If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to try softening up your water for the sake of your skin, hair, and home.
Hard Water Solutions
Though the health risks are minimal, that doesn’t negate the fact that hard water leaves an undesirable chalky film over your stainless steel items. If you already have hard water damage, you can always get a hard water stain remover to scrub away the scale.
However, if you want to avoid these problems, you could look into purchasing a water softener. This device would suck out most of the minerals in the water, so less comes out of your faucets or showers.
GE makes one of the best softeners on the market. You can click here to learn more about the GE water softener.
More Tips
As you can tell, hard water has several properties that most people don’t know. If you had any questions about hard water, we hope this guide helped to straighten things out for you.
If you do have hard water, it isn’t the end of the world. Remember, there are solutions, like the softener and stain remover, that can make your water usage a better experience.
If you enjoyed this guide and want to read more tips and tricks, feel free to check out the rest of our blog!
Trevor Anderson wrote this article on behalf of FreeUp. FreeUp is the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. FreeUp only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world.
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