Battling the Buildup: How Hard Water Can Deteriorate Your Pipes

Hard water is found all over the world and can be causing many issues you’re not even aware of, with the four main problems being:

1. Film and Scale Buildup

2. Low Water Pressure

3. Increased Stress on Water Fixtures

4. Damage to Appliances

Hard water is unfiltered water with dissolved calcium and magnesium, leading to backed-up and rusted pipes due to the levels of these metals. The easiest way to determine if you have hard water is to get it tested. A hard water test involves a professional taking a water sample to measure certain levels of metals.

You can often identify hard water before having to replace pipes and appliances by observing what happens when you heat water. “When hard water is heated, such as in a home water heater, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form.” (Hardness of Water). If your dishes appear polka-dotted or hazy, your fresh laundry feels almost like sandpaper, and your faucets develop a chalky film, you most likely have hard water.

Hard water affects daily life by corroding your pipes and damaging appliances. As these metal levels circulate through your fixtures, they require more frequent replacements and can lead to reduced water pressure due to blockages. “Hard water also negatively impacts the efficiency and lifespan of any appliance that requires water for operation.” (Understanding and Dealing with Hard Water).

A study from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project shows that hard water is prevalent across the United States. The graphic below illustrates the outcomes of testing water wells, revealing that almost every well tested showed some level of hard water. This means at least 43 million people are affected by these metals daily. (NAWQA).

By getting your water tested and filtered, you can limit the hard water you use, which will significantly improve the health of your pipes and appliances. Visit us at H2O Services Inc. to take proactive steps and get your water tested for free.