Hard Water Problems
Over 85% of American homes face hard water problems.
What is Hard Water?
Water from any source including underground water, water from aquifers etc, that contain more than 1 GPG (grains per gallon) of dissolved hard minerals is called hard water. This hard mineral could be calcium, magnesium carbonate; manganese etc. In general water with 0 to 3.5 GPG is considered safe and soft. Anything above this is considered hard water.
What are Health Problems with Hard Water?
- Hard Water can Cause Many Problems
Hard water has less health problems than other problems. You may need more soap and shampoo while bathing with hard water. You will also have to rinse more thoroughly.
Sometimes the soap remains on the skin even after bathing that can clog skin pores and can cause rashes and other skin problems.
Hard water with minerals such as iron and manganese has undesirable odor and taste.
Other Hard Water Problems
- Apart from above mentioned health problems, hard water can cause other
Causes of Hard Water
problems in the home. Most common problem cause by hard water is in the home plumbing. When hard water is heated, the dissolved hard-water minerals re-crystallize and form scale that can clog plumbing systems and reduce flow of water through pipes.
- Calcium and magnesium in hard water reacts with soaps and detergents and diminishes their lathering and cleaning capability and forming a scum (soap curd). This makes rinsing more difficult.
- Scale and lime deposits can also cause problems in home appliances where water is used in excess quantity such as dishwashers, clothes washer, water heaters, coffee maker etc. This can damage these appliances and add to the repair cost.
- Even the kitchen is not spares by hard water problems. It can leave spots on dishes and cookware.
How to Solve Hard Water Problems?
Water softeners, often misspelled as water softener, can solve hard water problem. There are other solutions to hard water problems which I will discuss in the coming articles.
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