Know if Hard Water Flows Through Your Pipes

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Know if Hard Water Flows Through Your Pipes
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Do you know the type of water that flows in your
pipes? Is it soft or hard? Do you know the
difference? The softness or hardness of water
is determined by the mineral content.
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Water with high mineral content, 3.5 grains of
mineral per gallon (GPG) and higher, is
considered as hard water. But how does water
become hard water? Rain, as it travels through
different bodies of water
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and ends in aquifers, collects minerals like
calcium, manganese, and magnesium along the way.
Those substances add up, and once the level
reaches 3.5 GPG it becomes hard water. Hard
water isnt harmful per se. Although it may taste
different, its not bad for the body.
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However, it can affect your appliances and
plumbing system. For starters, the high mineral
content can cause buildup to accumulate more
rapidly than soft water. Consequently, it can
hamper the efficiency of appliances like
dishwashers, water heaters, and washing machines.
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It also reacts to cleaning agents, actually
weakening their effectiveness. As a result,
cleaning takes more time and is more difficult.
Aside from that, prolonged exposure to hard water
can result in dryness of human hair and skin.
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As a homeowner, youre probably asking how you
would know if the water that flows out of your
faucet is hard water or not. Hard water has
several characteristics. The first one, and
probably the easiest to spot, is white scale
buildup.
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White scale buildup is also known as limescale.
Its often found inside the pipes and area near
the faucets opening. It is off-white in color
and has a chalky or powdery texture.
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Limescale buildup can reduce water flow and cause
the failure of appliances. Moreover, theres an
easy test you can perform at home to determine if
you have hard water or not. Combine a small
amount of water and
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dish soap in a container, preferably a bottle,
and shake it up. Note the amount of foam the
action creates. If you have high mineral content
in your water, there would be less foam since
minerals react with soaps and other cleaning
agents.
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But if you want to be totally sure, call up
quality licensed plumbers and ask them to perform
an onsite test. By doing that, youll be able to
correctly determine the type of water you have
and at the same time get the exact value of
mineral content you have in your water.
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If your water supply is truly hard water, then
hire the best plumbing services to check the
present condition of your pipes and appliancesand
install a water softener system
immediately. http//www.beehiveplumbing.com