The problem with water across much of the United States is that it is almost universally hard. Only a handful of locations have naturally soft water. Therefore, most people have become so accustomed to hard water in their homes that they think the problems caused by hard water are normal. In fact, of the 85% of Americans with hard water, only 30% use a water softener to correct it. Find out the subtle signs that you may need to take this action in your home.
You Need a Lot of Soap to Create Suds
Using a lot of soap is a sign that your water is hard. Hard water requires extra effort to generate suds. However, if you’ve only lived in hard water areas, you may not know that you are using too much soap. One way to tell is to focus on how much soap you use when traveling. Consult a hard water map of the country, and if you use more soap at home than in softer water locations, you likely have hard water.
You Have Water Spots on Your Dishes After Pulling Them Out of the Dishwasher
Another sign that your home has hard water is the presence of stubborn stains on your dishes after cleaning them. These water spots come from tiny amounts of minerals from hard water that stay on the surface of your dishes after they dry. A rinse in vinegar can remove them, but they are still a sign that your home’s water is hard.
Your Showerhead Regularly Needs Scrubbing to Remove Scale
Scale build-up on your showerhead can reduce the flow and make the unit less efficient. If you find yourself buying scale remover to scrub off your showerhead regularly, that is a sure sign that your home has hard water.
Your Tank Water Heater Lasts Less Than Ten Years
Tank water heaters are highly susceptible to damage from hard water. When heated, hard water minerals will precipitate out and sink to the bottom of the water heater tank. When this happens, they create a layer of scale buildup. This buildup may even cause pinhole leaks in the tank.
Even more problematic, is when scale builds up on the heating elements in the tank. This buildup blocks heat from the rods reaching the water, so you won’t have as much hot water as expected.
Over time, too much hard water can damage the water heater beyond repair, shortening a tank heater’s typical life of ten years to almost half in some cases.
If You Notice Signs of Hard Water in Your Home, Take Action By Contacting Us at Oceanus
You cannot fix hard water problems without a water softener. In fact, if you try to make temporary repairs by scrubbing off hard water stains or buying more soap, you’ll end up spending more time and money than if you had a whole-home water softener installed. Contact us at Oceanus online or by phone at 951.338.8616 to schedule a visit from one of our water treatment professionals. After getting a water softener installed, you’ll wonder why you put up with hard water problems for so long.
Sources
https://homewater101.com/articles/hard-water-across-us
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/product/water-softener/
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/contact-us/
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/
https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/product/water-softener/
