Are you a homeowner in Arizona, Texas, Utah or Nevada? If so, you probably know about hard water and deal with it on a day-to-day basis. According to U.S. Geographical Study research, Arizona, Texas and Utah have some of the hardest water in the country. When tested, the minerals within the water were above 180 milligrams per liter. In the USGS’s scale of the softest water to hardest water, anything above 180 milligrams is the hardest water on the scale. Homeowners in Nevada and Idaho have water that is between 121 and 180 milligrams of minerals per liter. But what does the term "hard water" actually mean?
What is the Difference between Hard Water and Soft Water?
Water can either be hard, or soft. Hard water does not describe the actual feeling of the water. Instead, it is called hard water because it has has mineral deposits like calcium and magnesium within the water molecules. Soft water doesn’t have any type of mineral deposits within it, and just has H2O molecules.
Water doesn’t start out containing minerals, though. When it rains, that water is considered soft water. Water becomes hard when it seeps into the ground and absorbs calcium and magnesium. It then takes these minerals into water treatment plants, which get pumped into homes.
Problems Homeowners Face with Hard Water
Hard Water causes Homeowner to Use More Soap
Hard Water causes Soap Scum
Hard water also reacts with soap and creates what is known as scum. Scum can be removed with most household cleaners, as well as vinegar or baking soda.
Hard Water causes Scale
Another problem that homeowners with hard water face is scale. When hard water is heated, the minerals come out of the water and create scale: hard mineral deposits. This causes spots to form on dishes, kettles, showerheads and faucets. While that can be frustrating to clean off over and over, hard water can also deposit scale within water heaters and pipes. Scale can keep building up within pipes to the point where water pressure has diminished, and eventually the pipes will have to be replaced.
Scale within water heaters can build up and make it so the burner that heats the water has to heat through a thick layer of scale, which makes it harder to heat your water, making your water heater less efficient and burn out before it’s intended lifespan.
Luckily, here at Landmark Home Warranty, we have a lot of excellent DIY tips for homeowners to de-scale, clean and maintain their appliances:
| De-Scale your Showerhead | De-Scale your Pipes | Why De-Scale Your Pipes? |
|---|---|---|
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Take a look at the posts above about maintaining some common items that get a lot of scale build-up within your home. This is especially important if you have a home warranty and live in Arizona, Texas, Utah, Nevada, or Idaho. With a home warranty and proper maintenance through these tips, you can save money on your home systems and appliances, regardless of if you have hard water or soft water within your home.
Home warranties cover water heaters, plumbing systems, toilets and other major systems and appliances. As long as these home systems and appliances have been properly maintained, you can get them repaired or replaced for a small service call fee. If you want more information on getting your plumbing protected by a home warranty, go to www.landmarkhw.com to learn more.