Water Conditioning
What IS Hard Water Anyway?
Despite the name, hard water isn't actually hard. In fact it has no taste and no odor, and with the exception of very rare cases, you can't even see the minerals which cause hardness until the water evaporates forming scale.
So just what IS hardness anyway? In order to understand just what harness is and where it comes from, you first need to understand where your water comes from and how it gets into the ground and into your home. This process is known as the Hydrologic Cycle (Click here for more information from the US Geological Survey).
You may or may not have heard the expression "water is the universal solvent". This is very true, because of it's chemical makeup water is never satisfied with just it's one hydrogen atom and two oxygen atoms, it's always looking for more, eager to dissolve or exchange ions with whatever substance it comes in contact. As water falls to the earth and enters the ground through the process of infiltration, the water passes through the many layers of soil and rock it dissolves them making the water "hard". As the hard water evaporates, it's hydrogen and oxygen atoms return to their natural gaseous state. Scale is formed because the minerals that were dissolved through the infiltration process are solid in their natural state. As the water evaporates, the dissolved minerals re-crystallize and form a scaly crust on whatever surface they are touching.
How Does Hard Water Effect Me?
Hard Water's Effect On Soap
Water molecules can be thought of like a sponge. As more and more hardness minerals are absorbed by the water, it is less able to absorb anything else. With soap, this causes it to be less effective. Depending on the hardness level of your water (see above) you might have to use up to 75% more soap than with soft water.
Hard Water's Effect on Skin and Hair
The hardness minerals that leave that stubborn soap scum on your tub, showers and sink also leave it on your skin, keeping you from having that clean feeling when you bathe or shower.
Hard Water's Effect on Water Using Appliances
Hard water reduces the effectiveness of these appliances by up to 30% and can foul up plumbing with scaly calcium deposits. Scale buildup in your water heater or on the heating element of your dishwasher reduces effectiveness, shortens the life of the element and increases your monthly electric bill.
The US Geological Survey has created a scale by which the hardness level in water can be measured.
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