Hard Water, and Its Effects on Your Plumbing

04/27/2015

Though you may not realize it, the water that comes out of your tap has to go through quite an extensive treatment process before it reaches you. Municipal water supplies are treated to remove any harmful minerals or chemicals before they are piped into your home. Though these processes are extensive, they are not perfect. Many houses are affected by water with a very high mineral content, also known as “hard water.” Read on to find out why hard water is such a problem for your plumbing system, and what you can do about it.

Hard Water and Lime Scale

The minerals present in hard water are not a health hazard to humans, so you have nothing to worry about in that regard. However, they are very much a threat to the health of your plumbing system. As hard water flows through the pipes in your home, it leaves small deposits of minerals on their inner walls. Over time, these deposits grow into lime scale. Lime scale is a hard, solid layer of sediment that restricts the flow of water through the pipe. This lessens the efficiency of the plumbing system to the point that the pipes often need to be replaced.

Water Softeners

If you know that you have hard water in your home, you should seriously consider installing a water softener system. Water softeners are essentially filters that neutralize the extra mineral content from your water. If you have a water softener installed in your home’s water line, it will protect your entire plumbing system from the effects of hard water.

Don’t allow a completely preventable problem to cost you hundreds of dollars in repairs. Contact Rooter Man today about installing a water softener in your home. We install water softeners throughout Albany, NY.