At one time or another, most homeowners have come across hard water. That is, water that contains more minerals—such as calcium and magnesium—than ordinary water. Calcium and magnesium prevent other positively charged ions from dissolving easily, leading to a buildup of these materials in your plumbing system. Soon you’ll discover deposits of soap, iron and lime in your showers, sinks and faucets. There are various ways to combat hard water, such as using a water softener.
Filtering Your Water
Many water filters contain a water softener, which is used to treat water in which there is a high concentration of minerals present. A water softener is installed into your home’s water supply system, and works by trading minerals for something else, in most cases sodium. This process is called ion exchange, and eliminates the problem of hard water because sodium does not precipitate out in pipes or react badly with soap. This salt is used to clean thousands of tiny resin beads within the tank during a regeneration cycle, allowing the system to continually remove hardness from your water supply.
Why Is Hard Water a Problem?
While hard water does not pose a significant health risk, its tendency to cause mineral buildup in water pipes and heating systems is a nuisance. You will notice a gritty, unpleasant finish to your glasses when they come out of the dishwasher. You might also notice an unpleasant crusty buildup on your shower heads and faucets, in addition to grey staining/marking of washed clothes. Hard water also prevents effective soap lathering and reduced water flow in hot water distribution pipes. Water testing services are available if you’re unsure that hard water is a problem in your home.
Contact Design Comfort today for quality water filter services in Salt Lake City, UT.
