The water that flows through your plumbing system has an effect on that system. If your water happens to be hard, it can be especially damaging to your pipes, connectors, and fixtures. Hard water is caused by an unusually high mineral count, and minerals can leave your water tasting off, can make it harder to rinse your clothes and dishes clean, and can damage your plumbing system in the process. If you have hard water, you may be so used to its effects that you are don’t recognize their cause. There are however several telltale signs that your water is hard and that you need the services of a reputable St. Cloud plumbing and heating company.
Hard Water Happens
If you aren’t sure about the state of your water supply, there are several reliable signs that you probably have hard water:
Your Family Chooses Bottle Water over Tap Water
If your family consistently chooses bottle water over tap water, it likely means that your water is hard. Hard water often has a sulfuric, metallic, or sour taste and smell that is off putting. Bottled water is expensive and isn’t an environmentally friendly option. As such, a modern water softening and filtration system that transforms your water supply from hard water to delicious, healthy drinking water can quickly pay for itself.
If Your Laundry is Drab and Lifeless
If the clothes that come out of your laundry are listless and drab, you likely have a hard water issue. Because of its mineral overload, hard water doesn’t clean as well as softer water; not only doesn’t it lather well but it also isn’t great for rinsing away soap residue, which can quickly leave your clothing looking blah. Even new clothes can begin to look dull within a couple of washings, and hard water has the added bonus of leaving clothing stiff and scratchy. If your laundry leaves you unimpressed, you probably have hard water.
If Your Hot Shower Leaves Your Skin Dry and Uncomfortable
A hot shower is usually the one place you can count on to leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed, but hot water can even spoil that effect. Because hard water neither lathers well nor rinses well, it’s likely to leave your skin feeling dry, itchy, and tight. If your shower leaves you feeling uncomfortable, it’s time to call in a professional plumber.
If Your Dishes Have Streaks and Spots
Whether you hand wash your dishes and cookware or run them through the dishwasher, hard water can do a number on them. Again, hard water has neither the cleaning nor the rinsing power that softer water affords, and as such, can leave your dishes looking spotty. Those unsightly powdery streaks and spots are the remaining traces of soap residue that weren’t adequately rinsed away. Hard water can steal the sparkle from your freshly washed dishes.
If There’s an Unsightly Ring around Your Tub
Hard water can lead to a decidedly noticeable ring around your bathtubs, showers, and sinks. This hardened ring is caused by the soap-scum buildup that hard water doesn’t have the power to rinse away. Over time, the residue from soap scum will naturally build up on your bathroom fixtures, but the process is much swifter when your water is hard. If you have a difficult time keeping up with the ring around your tub, you probably have hard water.
If Your Pipes, Fixtures, and Appliances Are Unaccountably Damaged
While your pipes, fixtures, and plumbed appliances are vulnerable to wear and tear, hard water can speed the process up considerably. The additional minerals in hard water adhere to and build up on everything they come in contact with, and this buildup is hard on your plumbing system. In fact, damage to your water heater, the ice maker in your refrigerator, your dishwasher, or your washing machine is likely to be an early sign that hard water is wreaking havoc on your plumbing.
Hard Water
If you’ve got hard water, it can leave you with unappetizing water, listless laundry, spotty dishes, ring around the tub, and damaged plumbing. It’s a lot. If the signs of hard water are beginning to surface in your home or office, an experienced St. Cloud plumber will help you find a water treatment system that works for you.
If You’ve Got Hard Water, Call an Experienced St. Cloud Plumber Today
It’s a fact: Hard water is hard on your plumbing. The plumbing professionals at Neighborhood Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Electrical in St. Cloud are here to help. Modern water softening and treatment systems can transform your hard water into the clean, healthy softened water that you seek. For more information, please contact or call us at (320) 500-6073 today.
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