What Is Hard Water And How To Know It In Your Home

Considering that 85% of US and almost 60% of UK homes get hard water, it would be thought that anyone with hard water would beaware of it because of the state of their kettle or the stains inthe bath or sinks. However, although these are common symptoms, itis not always clear why they are forming in the first instance.

How to know you have hard water in your home? 

Probably the most recognisable symptoms of hard water are soap scumin the bath tub and shower, and hard water spots on taps andfixtures.

Hardness minerals react with soaps and detergents to form aninsoluble, sticky residue that’s difficult to rinse from bath tubs,sinks, taps and fixtures.

According to a study from The Ohio State University, theaverage person cleaning a home spends more than six hours a monthcleaning tap water spots, streaks and scum alone.

The same soap residue is often left on hair, skin and clothing, too.Although not highly visible in these instances, it can cause yourskin to dry and itch, and clothing to fade and wear prematurely.

The simplest way to ascertain if water is hard or soft is the lather/froth test. Soft water lathers easily with soap, whereas hard water does not. Toothpaste also does not froth well in hard water. More accurate methods of hardness detection use a wet titration method to determine hardness.

Below are the top reasons why hard water could be a problem in your area:

1. Rings around your bathtub
2. Soap scum on faucets/taps, sinks, fixtures
3. Clogged showerheads
4. Furred up kettle
5. Spots on dishes, shower doors, and foundation of taps
6. Reduced ability of soaps and detergents to froth up
7. Yellow and dingy clothes that require extra rinsingto remove a soap residue
8. Build-up of minerals inside pipes causing blockages
9. Higher than normal heating bills caused by reducedefficiency of water heaters causing increased water heating
costs again due to build-up of minerals
10.Possible skin infections from bacteria trapped in poresunderneath soap scum

If you’d like to find out the state of the water in an area youlive in, you can find out how hard or soft the water is bycontacting the water company in that particular area.

Hard water causes other problems, as well. Over time, scale formedfrom continuous contact with dissolved minerals in water cancollect inside plumbing and on the internal parts of water-usingappliances. Service calls to plumbers and repair persons may becomenecessary as water pressure drops and mechanical parts stop working.

Hard water scale can also coat the inside of a water heater anddrastically reduce its heating efficiency. Greater fuel consumptionand higher utility bills result when the appliance has to heatwater through a layer of rock.

According to a study commissioned by the Water Quality ResearchCouncil and conducted at New Mexico State University, water heaterswork 22-30 percent less efficiently with hard water, driving uputility bills unnecessarily.

What is hard water?
 Water described as “hard” is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. Hard water is not a health risk, but a nuisance because of mineral buildup on fixtures and poor soap and/or detergent performance.

Water is a good solvent and picks up impurities easily. Pure water — tasteless, colorless, and odorless — is often called the universal solvent. When water is combined with carbon dioxide to form very weak carbonic acid, an even better solvent results.

As water moves through soil and rock, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water “hard.” The degree of hardness becomes greater as the calcium and magnesium content increases.

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