Whether your household water comes from a city water supply or a well, it pays to be well-informed about the impacts of hard water. Is it healthy? Is it damaging? Seven out of ten Americans are concerned about the quality of their water supply and they should be. Hard water in particular can be hard on business and residential facilities and humans as well.
Get the real story about hard water, where it occurs, the problems it creates and how to eliminate it.
What is Hard Water?
Hard water is water that has a high level of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. The type of calcium in water is typically calcium carbonate. Both calcium carbonate and magnesium are added to groundwater as rainwater seeps through soil and rock. This moving water passes through rock that contains calcium and magnesium and dissolves some of these minerals, carrying them away into groundwater supplies.
This groundwater is then pumped up from aquifers into personal water wells or into municipal water treatment plants. Therefore, both city households supplied by municipal services and well owners may suffer from the effects of hard water.
What Parts of the U.S. Have Hard Water?
Deposits of limestone and dolomite add calcium to water. Limestone is found in:
- Arizona
- Florida
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New York
- Oklahoma’s panhandle
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Utah
- West Virginia
The whole Appalachian Range contains plentiful deposits of limestone.
Dolomite deposits are found in:
- California
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Magnesite is a type of rock that contains soluble magnesium. It can be found in California, Nevada, Washington and Texas.
Limestone and dolomite are the main contributors of calcium and magnesium to household water supplies.
As you can see, large areas of the U.S. are likely to experience the effects of hard water!
Exactly How “Hard” Is Hard Water?
The hardness of water is measured in grains per gallon or milligrams per liter for calcium carbonate (a mixture of calcium, carbon, and oxygen found in rocks, shells, and bones). Water with less than 17 milligrams per liter is soft. Water with more than 120 milligrams of calcium carbonate is considered hard. Some parts of the U.S. have extremely hard water, consisting of water with more than 181 milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter.
While certain quantities of minerals in drinking water offer both health and taste benefits, high levels can wreak havoc on appliances, plumbing and people. This article will examine both commonly believed myths about hard water and then offer facts about hard water. This information can help you manage the impacts of hard water on your home and body.
Common Myths About Hard Water
Myth 1: Hard Water is Unsafe to Drink
No, hard water is not unsafe to drink. In fact, the calcium and magnesium in water are typically in a form that can be used nutritionally by the body. These minerals provide the building blocks for strong bones and teeth and proper muscle function. They are essential to prevent osteoporosis, high blood pressure and muscle cramps. They may also play a protective role for the heart.
If well water is high in calcium and magnesium, it can also be high in other metals and minerals that might not be as desirable. It is important to know what’s in your well water so you are aware of any substances or contaminants that should be removed. Annual testing is recommended.
Myth 2: Hard Water Damages Pipes and Appliances Beyond Repair
There is some truth to this myth. Hard water contains calcium ions and magnesium ions. This means that the calcium and magnesium atoms have lost electrons so they have a positive charge. This positive charge makes it easier for these minerals to be attracted to some plumbing components. They are, for example, highly attracted to older galvanized steel pipes and less attracted to newer copper pipes.
As this hard water passes through water heaters, plumbing pipes, washing machines, dishwashers and other water-using devices, the calcium and magnesium can build up as deposits called scale. You may have seen a crusty, whitish buildup on coffee pots or water kettles. There may also be lines of minerals built up in toilets or scale around faucets or on taps. It’s unsightly and it interferes with the function of all your devices.
In a hot water heater, for example, scale can build up on the heating element. The element has to heat the scale before it can reach the water. Greater amounts of energy are consumed. A water heater with a heavy buildup of scale may need early replacement.
Appliances and devices can, however, easily be preserved with a water-softening system that reduces the minerals in water. Some appliances and surfaces can be flushed or cleaned with a vinegar solution, as well, since vinegar dissolves scale.
Myth 3: Hard Water Causes Skin Issues Like Dryness and Irritation
Hard water doesn’t actually cause skin irritation but it can aggravate skin problems that already exist. Hard water interacts with soaps and shampoos to cause soap scum, a sticky material that is hard to remove from skin and hair. This soap scum can cause dryness and irritation, especially for a person with sensitive skin or a condition like eczema.
It’s important to note that a bigger cause of dry skin and hair is chlorine. Municipal water supplies often contain this chemical that is used to disinfect water supplies. Wells do not typically have chlorine in them unless the well was improperly flushed after disinfection or the wrong type of chlorine disinfectant was used.
If a whole-house water softener can’t be added, consider using a shower filter to remove minerals to reduce soap scum and irritation. You can also look for one that removes chlorine if your home is supplied with municipal water.
Myth 4: Hard Water Always Tastes Bad
Actually, most people prefer water with some minerals. Pure water that comes out of a distiller may taste flat and unappealing. Bottled waters like Fuji, Evian, S. Pellegrino, Icelandic Glacial and Volvic waters all contain calcium and magnesium.
If well water has a bad taste, it probably contains iron, manganese or sulfate. These minerals can also be filtered out of your well water. You will need to test your well water to find out what minerals could be causing the bad taste. Then you can speak to a company that provides water filters to get the right filtration system for your well.
Facts About Hard Water
Now that you understand that hard water may not be all that bad, take a look at the facts.
Fact 1: Hard Water Affects Soap and Detergent Performance
This fact is largely an annoyance although the poor interaction of hard water and soap could cost you money.
When hard water and soap mix, a sticky residue forms that is called soap scum. This is because the minerals bind with fatty acids in soap. The scum that forms can’t be dissolved and carried away by water so it accumulates on sinks, bathtubs, showers and your clothes, skin and hair. Households with well water may have a harder time with soap scum because this water that comes right out of the ground may, on average, have higher levels of minerals.
When doing laundry or washing dishes, you may need to use more soap. You may find yourself cleaning bathroom fixtures more often. Having to devote more time, soap and cleaning supplies to eliminating soap scum can get expensive and frustrating.
Fact 2: Hard Water Contributes to Scale Buildup in Appliances and Anywhere Water Flows
Yes, it’s true. If you have hard water and do not add a water softener to your home, scale is going to build up in appliances, pipes and on your fixtures.
You can keep washing down your faucets, kettles, coffee makers and other devices with vinegar but a different process is needed for your hot water heater, dishwasher or washing machine.
It is possible to descale your hot water heater with vinegar. Look online for detailed instructions, but basically, you’re going to shut off electricity, empty the water heater, pour in a vinegar/water mixture, let it sit and then drain it out. A similar treatment can remove scale from a dishwasher and washing machine.
If you live in an area with hard water, descaling is recommended every three to six months for a washing machine and once a year for a water heater. Descaling can protect your major appliances and keep them working longer.
Fact 3: Hard Water Can Leave Spots and Streaks
These unattractive spots and streaks can show up on glassware, dishes and silverware after they have been through your dishwasher. They can also show up on shower doors, bathtubs and sinks. Faucets may have a rim of mineral buildup around the base. Shower heads may get clogged.
Even your vehicles may be marked with spots unless you dry the vehicle promptly after washing. If these spots are left too long, they can damage your vehicle’s paint.
Continual cleaning may keep up with some of these unsightly deposits. But it’s no fun to have to repeatedly scrub showers with vinegar or chemicals or soak glasses in a vinegar solution to remove the minerals.
Fact 4: Hard Water Isn’t a Health Hazard
As noted earlier, hard water actually provides some healthful benefits. Our bodies need calcium and magnesium. (There are hundreds of other minerals, metals, toxins and contaminants that they don’t need, however!)
While hard water creates inconveniences and annoyances, there are benefits to drinking water with an ample supply of these minerals. If your home is supplied with well water, annual testing is recommended to determine how hard your water is and what other minerals, industrial or agricultural chemicals, metals or contaminants might be present. Having this knowledge is the key to installing the right filtering or treatment system that can keep your family safe.
Addressing Concerns with Hard Water or Other Contaminants
Fortunately, there are many types of water filtration or treatment that can ensure that your home has fresh, pure water. Homeowners whose water comes from municipal supplies, as well as personal wells, would be smart to start their water quality plan with a comprehensive test to determine exactly what needs to be filtered out. Otherwise, you could install a system that does not remove the contaminants that are most hazardous to your family’s health.
The four most popular kinds of water treatment are:
- Water softeners that remove calcium and magnesium by replacing those ions with sodium or potassium.
- Activated carbon filters that remove contaminants like chlorine, lead, mercury and many industrial chemicals. You must know what is in your water before purchasing an activated carbon filter because different carbon filters address different contaminants.
- Reverse osmosis filters that can remove microorganisms plus sodium, chloride, copper, lead and more. They usually reduce arsenic, sulfate, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. A reverse osmosis filter may remove so many minerals that the water tastes flat. You can look for a reverse osmosis filter with a feature that adds minerals back into the water for an improved taste.
- Ion exchange filters that remove calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese.
ETR Laboratories Can Help You Make the Right Choice of Water Treatment
If your home is supplied by your own personal well, the best place to start is with a comprehensive water test to provide a baseline. You get the data you need to make choices for water softening or treatment and you can compare future tests to your baseline.
If your home is supplied by a municipal or rural water system, a water test that looks for all the most common contaminants is a very wise move. It allows you to detect weaknesses or flaws in your water system and determine if your family is exposed to toxins like trihalomethanes. These cancer-causing chemicals are by-products of water disinfection with chlorine. Here too, you need to know what is in your water before deciding on a filtering or treatment system. To choose your water test, visit the ETR Laboratories water test package page today.