Many homes in Pennsylvania face the common issue of hard water, which can negatively impact your household pipes, fixtures, and plumbing appliances. In this blog, the experts at Andreas Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning explain how hard water affects your plumbing system and give tips on maintaining a healthy and efficient home environment.
Hard Water 101: What You Need to Know
Hard water contains high levels of minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. Rainwater picks up these dissolved minerals as it filters through the soil and into the groundwater supply. When hard water flows through your plumbing system, mineral deposits may be left behind, causing numerous problems. Here’s how to tell if you have hard water in your Pennsylvania home:
- Limescale residue: Hard water reacts with soap, leaving a film on shower doors, faucets, and coffee makers.
- Spotty dishware: After washing, your glasses, dishes, and silverware may have spots and streaks due to mineral deposits in the rinse water.
- Dry skin and hair: The minerals in hard water strip away your body’s natural oils, causing dry, brittle hair and itchy, irritated skin.
- Poor lathering: Hard water prevents soap, shampoo, and detergent from lathering properly.
- Faded laundry: Clothes washed in hard water may appear dull and feel scratchy.
- Unpleasant taste: Hard water isn’t bad for you, but many people find the metallic or mineral taste off-putting.
How Hard Water Damages Your Plumbing System
Hard water minerals build up over time, leading to plumbing issues. Here are some adverse effects hard water can have on your plumbing system:
- Scale buildup: Calcium and magnesium form deposits in water supply lines, faucet and showerhead aerators, and bathtub jets, reducing water flow and efficiency.
- Clogs: Mineral buildup and soap scum in your drains can harden and cause clogs.
- Corrosion: Hard water can corrode metal pipes, resulting in leaks and breaks.
- Water heater damage: Hard water causes scale buildup inside your water heater. This reduces heat transfer efficiency and shortens the appliance’s lifespan.
Protecting Your Plumbing from Hard Water
While vinegar can remove hard water stains from faucets and shower doors, the best long-term solution is to reduce the minerals in your water by installing a water softener. This whole-house device removes harsh minerals that degrade your water quality.
Here are some benefits of installing a water softener:
- Prevent scale buildup: Water softeners remove minerals that cause scale, protecting your pipes and fixtures.
- Extend appliance lifespan: Eliminating mineral buildup extends the life of your water heater, washing machine, and dishwasher.
- Improve water quality: Softened water is gentler on your skin and hair and helps laundry look brighter and cleaner. It enhances the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, saving you money on these products while still achieving the desired cleanliness.
- Reduce energy bills: Soft water allows your water heater to transfer heat more efficiently. Without mineral buildup, this appliance uses less energy and lowers your utility bills.
- Decrease cleaning time: Soft water reduces soap scum and mineral spots, so you can spend less time scrubbing your plumbing fixtures and more time enjoying your clean home.
Andreas Plumbing: Your Partner in Hard Water Solutions
Hard water damages your plumbing system over time, but the solution is simple — install a water softener with help from Andreas. We provide expert installation services to protect your home from hard water damage.
As a family-owned and -operated business for four generations, we pride ourselves on our honesty, integrity, and outstanding service.
Contact us today to schedule a water softener installation in Eastern Pennsylvania.
