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.

There are many reasons why people don’t want hard water in their homes. Hard water inhibits the ability to create soap suds which degrades the cleaning power of soaps, detergents, and shampoos. It forms a chalky scale and sticky soap scum that are unhealthy and hard to clean. Fabrics washing in hard water are damaged by mineral deposits that accumulate and the bottom of the fibers. This causes fabrics to look dull, and they wear out faster than expected. When we shower in hard water, the dissolved minerals are left behind on our skin after drying, leading to breakouts, dry skin, and even brittle hair. But, one of the more insidious aspects of hard water is the damage that you can’t see.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water contains an elevated concentration of certain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and in some areas, iron too. These minerals are left behind on surfaces after the water has passed through, and they have a number of negative consequences. There is no way to deal with these negative effects with cleaning or other maintenance chores. Why? Well, the problem will always return unless the core issue is dealt with. Hard water can be sourced from private wells and public water supplies and a water treatment plant will not remove the minerals that make the water hard. For this reason, many people install a water softener system in their homes. This equipment removes the mineral ions that make the water hard and replaces them with benign salt (chloride or potassium) ions. Installing a water softener may seem expensive, but when you stack the cost up against the potential savings it’s a sound investment. One of the more expensive consequences of hard water is the effect that it has on the plumbing system and water using appliances.

How Does Hard Water Damage a Plumbing System?

As we mentioned earlier, one of the more annoying aspects of hard water is the production of scale. In the bathroom and kitchen, this is easier to identify and temporary cleaning with white vinegar and plenty of elbow grease can remove it temporarily. But, there are places where the formation of scale cannot be seen. The inner surfaces of plumbing pipes and fixtures that carry the hard water through the home are vulnerable. Any plumbing pipes or fixtures that carry hot water are especially at risk from the formation of hard water scale. But, a buildup can occur in cold water carrying pipes too, and they are both vulnerable to the formation of scale.

One of the first things that people notice when scale forms inside their pipes is a loss of water pressure. Imagine a tube that is gradually filling with material and the volume of water that could potentially pass through it. At some point, that tube would reach the point where it becomes obvious that less water can pass through, and the water pressure drops. This scale formation is taking place inside the plumbing pipe, and there is no way to reach it for cleaning without removing the pipe. When plumbers are called out to deal with low water pressure pipes they may need to remove sections of pipe. Inside they will find thick layers of scale and corrosion that are virtually blocking the pipe. The internal pipe diameter is significantly smaller and insufficient volumes of water can pass through to maintain a reasonable level of water pressure for the home.

As you can imagine, calling out a plumber to repair or replace entire sections of pipe can be expensive. The scale may have formed inside plumbing fixtures too, which can lead to extensive replacements that drive up the final bill. Adopting a proactive approach to reduce the risk of scale formation is the best way to deal with these problems. Soft water doesn’t produce scale, and a water softener is far cheaper than extensive plumbing pipe and fixture replacements in your home.

What are the Risks for Water Using Appliances?

All water using appliances are at risk from hard water, including refrigerators, washers, dishwashers, the water heater, and even that fancy plumbed in coffee machine. The aforementioned scale accumulation can form inside these appliances too. As the pipes and connected valves become clogged with scale, they will suffer a reduction in water flow. Clogged pipes are more prone to leaks that can be hard to locate and expensive to fix.

One of the major consequences of hard water in appliances that have heating elements is the scale that forms on these critical components. The easiest way to see this phenomenon for yourself is to look at the heating element in a kettle that’s regularly filled with hard water. The scale there is obvious, but inside a water heater or washer, it cannot be seen unless the appliance is taken apart. When a heating element is coated with scale, it takes longer to reach the desired temperature to heat the water. This lengthens the operating times, and more energy is required to achieve the same results. This degradation in energy efficiency is a significant hidden cost. It’s estimated that energy bills are increased by up to 29% in homes that use hard water!

Another major problem is the physical effect that hard water has on the internal components. The longer heating times expend more energy, but they also overwork the components too and this can lead to more frequent expensive repair bills. The useful lifespan of a water using appliance is also shortened by 30-50% leading to an earlier than expected replacement.

Installing an Ion Exchange Water Softener

The only way to deal with hard water is to remove the dissolved minerals that make the water hard. There are many types of water softeners on the market, but the most reliable systems use an ion exchange process. The hard water passes through a media tank filled with resin balls that are coated with charged salt ions. As the mineral ions are attracted to the surface, an exchange takes place. The mineral ions stick to the resin media balls and the salt ions are added to the water making it soft and easier to use.

If you’re considering a water softener installation, contact your local water treatment specialist today.