Hard Water in Your Home

Hard water in the home is hard on you and your appliances.  Hard water leaves your skin dry and your hair brittle, but it also leaves a film on the shower door and rings in the toilet and bathtub.  Hard water creates more work for you as a homeowner and costs you more money in the long run.

In 2009, the Water Quality Association (WQA) commissioned a study to examine the life expectancy of an appliance using hard water in the home.  The results show that hard water will decrease any home appliance’s life expectancy.

Appliance	Expected Life	Using Hard Water
Washing Machine	11 years	7.7 years
Dishwasher	10 years	7 years
Toilet	6.5 years	2 years
Faucet	9 years	5.4 years

The research study also found when water heaters are exposed to hard water, they failed as early as 1.6 years old, and their efficiency ratings were reduced by as much as 48%. Also, hard water scale buildups inside the water heater will shorten the life expectancy of the heating element.

Appliance	Expected	Using Hard Water
Electric water heater	13 years	6.5 years
Gas water heater	11 years	5.5 years

Based on this data, former technical director of the WQA, Joe Harrison, P.E., CWS-VI, said of the study, “Water softeners can rightfully be positioned as one of the very highest energy-saving and best ‘green’ technology appliances that a homeowner can own.”

Using soft water in the home significantly improves your home’s appliance’s longevity, cleaning power, and energy usage.  Soft water will make your life much easier and save you money.  The investment in a water softener and soft water will make life much easier in terms of cleaning, and save you money in terms of detergent and energy usage.

Another study, The Battelle study, found homes using soft water were able to cut down on detergent/soap use, and appliances could run at lower temperatures.  Also, washing machines can use as much as 50% less detergent, and a dishwasher can use 70% less dishwasher detergent while using soft water.

Suppose you are ready to stop hardness from entering your home. In that case, it’s time to contact a local water professional, have your water tested, and install recommended equipment to improve your home’s water.

To learn more about the options to improve your home’s water, contact Huemann Water Conditioning at 815-385-3093 or request a Free Water Analysis.