Protect Your Home From Hard Water by Installing a Water Softener

04/11/2016

Of all the many plumbing problems that can plague a home, one of the most damaging is hard water. Hard water is a subtle issue, one you’re not likely to notice unless you know what to look for. If it isn’t dealt with in a timely manner, though, it could end up costing you thousands of dollars down the road. Let’s take a look at the threat hard water presents, and how a water softener can protect your home from it.

Hard Water

Hard water is water with a very high concentration of magnesium and calcium, which it picks up by percolating through certain rock layers on its way to the aquifer. These minerals are often not removed during the municipal water treatment process, and so make it all the way into your home.

As hard water flows over a surface, it will deposit tiny amounts of minerals on that surface. While this is harmless at first, it becomes a problem when the mineral deposits get larger. These large mineral deposits are called lime scale. Lime scale becomes a massive problem when it forms in your plumbing pipes, as it restricts the flow of water through them. If the lime scale isn’t scraped out of the pipe soon enough, it will harden and become impossible to remove without damaging the pipe. At that point, the entire pipe will need to be replaced to restore full function to the system.

Water Softener

A water softener is installed in your home’s water line, so that it can treat all water flowing into your home. It protects your home by neutralizing the magnesium and calcium particles in the water before they have a chance to deposit on your plumbing pipes. So, by the time the water reaches you it’s no longer hard or harmful to your plumbing system.

Rooter Man installs and services water softeners throughout Albany, NY.