The Effects Of Hard Water On Home Appliances And Plumbing

Hard water is the term used for freshwater that contains an excess of minerals, calcium, and magnesium. While it’s not bad for your health, it is for your home’s appliances and plumbing.

How Does Water Get Hard?

Rainwater doesn’t contain minerals. Water absorbs minerals once it’s in an aquifer. Hardness is measured by the number of milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter of water. Hard water contains 121 to 180 mg/liter.

Hard Water And Your Appliances

Hard water negatively impacts your water heater, dishwasher, washing machine, water heater, and refrigerator. The pipes and valves in these appliances can become clogged, which reduces water flow and can cause leaks. Expensive parts might need to be replaced, and the lifespan of the appliance can be reduced by 30% to 50%.

Hard water can also cause scale to build up inside your appliances. This excess scale buildup makes your appliances work harder than they need to. As a result, your energy bills could be as much as 30% higher.

Drainworks Plumbing & Septic LLC is a plumbing company in Columbia, CT. We install water softeners that reduce the hardness of the water in your home.

Hard Water And Your Plumbing

When you have hard water, you can see scale buildup in your sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs. The bigger problem is that it’s also building up in your pipes and appliances time. This causes reduced water flows, blockages, and increased stress on your plumbing system.

If hard water damages your pipes, it can be expensive to repair. A plumber sometimes needs to cut into a wall or ceiling to repair the damage. Some pipe materials are more resistant to hard water, such as PVC, but even pipes made of these materials can become completely blocked.

Drainworks Plumbing & Septic LLC is here to help when problems occur with your plumbing. We also provide septic, sewage, drain cleaning, hydro-jetting, and basement waterproofing services. We’ve been helping people in the Columbia area for more than 20 years and have certified technicians available. Please call today to set up an appointment.