Why is My Water Hard? Benefits of a Water Softener

What is hard and soft water, and what do these terms mean?

Hard water is water that contains a certain amount of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. In contrast, soft water is surface water that contains lower concentrations of these ions like calcium and magnesium. You tend to get soft water when the rain and river basins are formed of hard and calcium poor rocks, whereas you will find hard water in certain rivers and streams. For example, in Tennessee, the Great Lakes, and Alaska regions you will find lots of rivers containing a lot of hard water. Actually, hard water is the most natural type of water you can get and it is the closest you can get to rainwater. As it seeps through the ground that contains certain minerals it will filter these and become hard. The great thing about hard water is that it is completely untouched by any sort of chemical process. Therefore, the water still contains lots of natural minerals that are great for your health, and many people say they prefer the taste.

So why is your water hard and is it better for you than soft water?

Water that falls from the sky as rain is soft water. It only becomes hard when it filters through rocks that contain a lot of calcium and magnesium. If you live in an area nearby rocks that contain these minerals, then you are likely to have hard water. These minerals will slowly dissolve into the water and be carried along the water flow and into the pipes that come into your home. It is actually the type of water that most households will have. Although hard water does seem to be good for your health, as it contains many more minerals than soft water does, it isn’t great when it comes to cleaning. Hard water actually can stop lots of normal cleaning products from doing their job. This includes washing dishes, laundry and even when you are showering with soap. This occurs because as the hard water becomes hot, the minerals react with the products to make them less effective. That is where a water softener can help.

The benefits of using a water softener

Water softeners take out the extra minerals that you find in hard water by using an exchange process with sodium or potassium ions, where the minerals are flushed from the water system and replaced with these other ions. By using a water softener you will see lots of benefits. Firstly, everything you clean will look cleaner! Things will shine better and you will notice this. You will also be able to give yourself a better clean, and notice that you have softer skin and smoother hair. You will also probably loose less cleaning product generally since you will notice the lather occurs quicker. And perhaps the best benefit of all is that you will save money, as you will see your energy costs reduce and there will be less damage to your household appliances.