You might not give the quality of the water coming from your faucets a second thought, but depending on where you live, your supply of this essential substance could be causing problems in your everyday life. The mains supply in different areas can deliver hard water, soft water, or somewhere in between, and the harder the water in your supply, the more difficulties it can cause.
Hard water contains high levels of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that have dissolved as the water passes through limestone and chalk layers in the ground. While these minerals aren't in themselves dangerous to your health, they can cause many issues in daily life, from dry skin and hair to increased wear and tear on household appliances.
A water softener is a device that removes excess minerals from the mains water supply, either by filtering it or by using chemical reactions that transform the impurities into less harmful forms.
Adding a water softener to your supply will bring many benefits around your home, and the harder the water in your area, the more improvements you'll see. The main advantages cover six areas.
As hard water flows through your home's plumbing, the minerals will slowly but surely form deposits on the pipes and joints, reducing the flow and raising the water pressure. Over time, this can increase the risk of leaks and bursts as the plumbing is put under greater stress.
Even worse, the same deposits will start to form inside household appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and so on. These deposits greatly speed up wear and tear to reduce the appliances' working lives, while also increasing maintenance costs through the need for descaling, replacing filters, or more frequent repairs.
Mineral deposits will also build up around the heating elements in your HVAC, washing machine, and other appliances that deal with hot water. This extra layer will act as an insulator and make the device less efficient, slowing down heating while raising energy bills at the same time.
Hard water can be very unforgiving to your skin, with the salts drying it out and leaving it creased or flaky. And the high mineral levels are just as damaging to hair, leading to frizziness, split ends, and other damage. Softer water will be kinder to both, reducing the need for moisturizers and other beauty products in your daily routine.
Hard water reduces the effectiveness of detergents, reducing their ability to lather and impairing their cleaning performance. In most homes, softer water will mean cleaner, more comfortable clothes along with cleaner dishes in your kitchen.
Better detergent performance means you need to use less of it to get the same results, and so not as much enters the ecosystem through wastewater. Combine this with the higher energy efficiency a water softener can provide, and the eco-friendly benefits of softening are clear.
There are several common types of water treatment systems available, including ion exchange softeners, magnetic water conditioners, reverse osmosis systems, and salt-free conditioners. And while all water treatment systems can offer benefits, they work with different levels of efficiency and can have their own advantages and drawbacks.
Choosing the right water softener system depends mainly on the hardness of your water supply, the volume of water you need to soften in everyday use, and how much you're prepared to pay for installation and maintenance. Consulting with a water treatment professional will help you find the right system for your situation, ensuring better water quality at the price level that's right for you.
If you live in an area with a hard water supply, you may not even have thought about the problems it causes. But install a water softener and the differences will be clear every day, from lower energy bills to better cleaning performance and easier beauty care.
Contact us for an adive in the best water softener system for your needs and budget.
