To fix a problem, you need to know the cause. Hard water is one of the most common concerns for water quality across the country because 85% of the United States has this problem. Find out why you have hard water and how a water softener works to fix it.
What Causes Hard Water?
Hard water comes from impurities dissolved in the water. These typically include magnesium, calcium, and sulfates. The more of these minerals in the water, the harder it is. The magnesium and calcium in the water can separate when the water heats, causing limescale or water spots on surfaces that contact boiled water or hot water that evaporates. Even in areas that don’t use heated water, you can still have soap scum form from the sulfates and other minerals in the water. If you regularly have a ring around your tub or soap scum in your shower, you likely have hard water.
Where Did Hard Water Minerals Come from?
The reason that most of the United States has hard water comes from the country’s geology. A very common rock around the country is limestone, which is made mostly of calcium. Limestone formed from deposits at the base of oceans and deep seas that covered the nation millions of years ago. The locations in the country covered the longest by these waters have the greatest limestone in the ground, which dissolves into ground water and produces hard water.
How a Water Softener Fixes Hard Water
To solve hard water, you can ultra-filter it through the reverse osmosis purification system. However, for your entire house, a more efficient method is to use a water softener. This system feeds the hard water through an ion exchange system that swaps out the ions of hard water minerals with sodium or potassium. This process effectively removes the cause of the hard water, so you won’t have to worry about lime or water spots again.
Find a Whole-Home Water Softener Solution from Oceanus
In Southern California, hard water is also a problem. Contact us at Oceanus to discuss your options. We can install whole-home water softener systems with filtration or without. Plus, we offer purification systems for your kitchen tap that use reverse osmosis, hot water dispensers, and more. Fix the problem of hard water in your home for good with a water softener.
Sources
https://homewater101.com/articles/hard-water-across-us
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/products/water-softener/
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/contact-us
https://www.britannica.com/science/hard-water
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/