With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

When you live in a home with a supply of hard water, it can be a problem that affects your entire home. Hard water is harder on your skin, hair, appliances and plumbing system and this is a common problem. Rainfall contains no minerals, they are added as the water comes into contact with the various strata of rock in the ground. Water is an effective solvent; it dissolves rock it moves through and those properties are added to its makeup. The concentration of dissolved minerals will determine how hard the water is and those minerals are usually calcium, magnesium and iron. Installing a water softener is the only way to remove the dissolved mineral content and this is not done at the water treatment plant. In this article, we will look at five benefits when you install a water softener in your home.

1.  Saving Money

The mineral ions that cause the buildup of scale inside your pipes on heating elements and inside your appliances will be removed. This will prevent a wide variety of problems, including: water pressure drops, water leaks, water heater damage and more. The energy required to heat your water will increase because the heating element is less efficient. You may experience frequent repair bills for your plumbing system and water heating appliances. In extreme cases the useful lifespan of your appliances may be lowered and this will lead to an earlier than anticipated replacement. When you install a water softener, you can mitigate these risks and save money at the same time.

2.  Softer and Longer Lasting Fabrics

Another annoying characteristic of hard water is that mineral ions prevent the formation of soap suds. This degrades the cleaning power and many people attempt to compensate by adding more soap and detergent. But, this is ineffective and it promotes the formation of sticky soap scum that can damage your washed clothes and clog your drains. The hard water minerals tend to adhere at the base of fabric fibers where they cause tangles and increase wear and tear. This is why your clothes are not as bright and soft as they should be and the reason for rapid degradation. Installing a water softener allows you to wash fabrics at lower temperatures with improved cleaning results. Fabrics will look brighter, more colorful and they will last for much longer. Finally, you will need less detergent to wash your clothes and this will save a significant amount of money in the medium to long-term.

3.  Keeping Dishes Clean

When you live in a hard water area, the first thing that you may notice is that it’s hard to keep your dishes clean. Cleaning the dishes multiple times will leave a cloudy residue on the surfaces of glass, dishes and cookware. Making a switch to a different soap or detergent will not fix this problem because the underlying cause is the dissolved minerals. When you install a water softener, these minerals are removed before they can accumulate on the surfaces of your dishes. As we mentioned earlier, soft water creates soap suds easily and this delivers the correct cleaning power to your dishes. The cleaning action of the dishwasher is improved and more efficient.

4.  Cleaner Skin and Softer Hair

These two characteristics are interchangeable when you have soft water. When you shower, your skin will feel cleaner and softer and this is equally applicable when you wash your hair too. As we mentioned earlier, the hard water minerals prevent the soap from becoming fully soluble which negates much of the cleaning power. But, the material that will not become soluble and this will form a soap scum precipitate. This is the sticky material that clogs drains and it’s hard to clean away until the hard water minerals are removed.

Soap scum is also a haven for bacteria, which can be scrubbed onto your skin and hair. The minerals are hard to see, but they are left behind on your skin and hair after the water has evaporated away. The minerals clog skin pores which prevents the formation of natural oils which are needed to hydrate your skin. This leads to dry and itchy skin, breakouts and pre-existing skin conditions may become worse.

If you regularly experience “bad hair days” this is often caused by hard water minerals that are tangled at the base of the hair root. The pH level may be less than ideal for hair washing and this can make the hair follicles dry and brittle. Many people are surprised to learn that hard water can dull the natural color of their hair too. Hard water will form scale on the inside of the water pipes which will gradually narrow them. Eventually, the water pressure will drop and this will make showering and washing hair difficult.

5.  Easy Cleaning

Cleaning your home can be a real chore, most of us are busy and repeating tasks for limited results is frustrating. Hard water makes cleaning much harder, scrubbing at deposits of chalky lime scale and sticky soap scum is a thankless task. These materials are found on the faucets, sinks, shower stalls and other areas and they always return. Until the underlying issue is resolved there is no end to this crud cleaning task. When you clean with soft water, these two materials are no longer a problem. But, softer water is also better for cleaning because soaps and cleaning products will lather quickly. This will make cleaning faster, easier and when you clean something it stays clean for longer.

Soft Water Concerns

Some people may be concerned that soft water is bad for their health because salt is added to the water. The ion-exchange process does replace mineral ions with benign sodium or potassium ions which are both salts. But, this occurs on a miniscule level and most people would never notice the difference. That being said, if you are on a low sodium diet and you’re concerned about water softeners, seek advice from your physician.

If you want to install a water softener in your home, contact your local water treatment specialist today.