We’ve said it before, but for something that’s pretty formless, it’s hard to wrap your mind around water being “hard.” Believe it or not, groundwater contains metals, causing it to become “hard.” Hard water can contain high quantities of calcium, magnesium, or other minerals by absorbing them from soil and rocks. So, why does it matter?
While this might sound like something that might be potentially unsafe, usually hard water is more dangerous for your plumbing than it is for your consumption. Minerals collected by water can show up in your pipes, water heaters, dishwashers, and more, as “scale.”
Scale can reduce water flow through pipes, eventually causing them to become completely clogged. Not only that, but hard water also makes it hard for soap to lather and leaves soap scum on your tub and shower surfaces.
But don’t worry! If you have hard water, simply installing a water softener is the most cost-effective to give hard water to the boot.
Source: Popular Mechanics
At Hope Plumbing, we typically install standard 40,000-grain Marlo water softeners. Water softeners work by taking the hard water in and literally softening it, and then sending it back out as you use it.
Soft water doesn’t leave marks on your glasses, doesn’t create a scale that will build up in your pipes or appliances, and won’t leave soap scum in your bathtub. Now wouldn’t you rather have soft water than hard water?!