Hard water is a widespread issue facing homeowners in and around McPherson. Unfortunately, it can result in costly damage if left untreated.

Understanding the difference between hard water vs. soft water is the first step in protecting your plumbing, appliances and fixtures Below, the experts at McPherson Quality Air & Plumbing will define what hard water is, the warning signs you have hard water and how hard water affects your plumbing. Then, we’ll explain how we can protect your home.

What’s the Between Hard Water and Soft Water?

So, what exactly is hard water? It’s water that has a high level of of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals are safe for consumption but can harm your plumbing.

On the other hand, soft water has those minerals filtered out. Unlike hard water, soft water is plumbing-friendly.

Signs You Have Hard Water in Your Home

If you have hard water, you may see several warning signs:

  • Whiteish mineral build-up on plumbing fixtures
  • Low water pressure
  • Dry skin or brittle hair
  • Stiff or faded laundry
  • Shampoo doesn’t lather very much
  • Spots on glasses after washing in dishwasher

If you see any of these warning signs in your own home, call McPherson Quality Air & Plumbing for expert evaluation. Our team will test your water hardness levels (grains per gallon/PPM), so we can accurately measure your water hardness and how to fix it.

Frequently Reported Hard Water Effects on Plumbing

Why does it matter if you are dealing with hard water in your home? Hard water causes minerals to attach to the inside of your pipes, which hardens into something called limescale.

Limescale in plumbing narrows the interior of your pipes, which can reduce water pressure and even cause clogs or breaks.

The following are examples of the issues that hard water limescale deposits can cause in your plumbing:

Leaky Pipes

Hard water scale buildup along the inside of pipes can create rough surfaces. This accelerates corrosion and raises the risk of small leaks. This is a greater concern in older metal plumbing.

Damage to Home Appliances

Mineral limescale buildup in your water heater can lead to big problems. It forces these appliances to strain to operate by coating heating elements and parts with limescale, causing them to break down sooner.

Low Water Pressure

As limescale forms inside pipes, it restricts water flow. You may notice signs of reduced water pressure, such as less powerful showers or tubs requiring more time to fill with water.

Soap Scum Acculation and Hard Water Stains

Another effect of hard water in your plumbing is stubborn soap scum and hard water stains:

  • Soap scum: Appears when soap reacts with calcium and magnesium in hard water to produce insoluble salts. This dull, sticky film doesn’t dissolve.
  • Hard water stains: Formed when water evaporates and leaves behind mineral residue. It can appear as chalky buildup near faucets, as well as spots, streaks or rings in sinks, showers and bathtubs. It can even cloud the glassware in the dishwasher. Sometimes hard water stains have rust-colored staining if your water is high in iron.

Learn How to Protect Your Home from Hard Water with McPherson Quality Air & Plumbing

What can you do about hard water? From evaluation and testing to prevention, McPherson Quality Air & Plumbing provides complete hard water solutions in McPherson. We repair hard water damage, offering solutions such as descaling pipes and fixtures to remove stubborn mineral deposits and flushing appliances to restore flow and efficiency.

Our plumbing services also protect your home from future hard water problems by setting up a water softening system. We also can help you find the best filtration system to remove hard water for your home. Filtration systems and water softeners reduce limescale in your plumbing, providing water that’s gentle on plumbing and appliances.

Stop hard water damage now! Contact a local plumber from McPherson Quality Air & Plumbing by calling 620-245-0599 today!