A water softener is used when you have hard water in your locality. There are many indications that will help you identify that there is hard water. There are also test kits that you can use to find this out. Your home chores can double as a result of hard water because you will have to rewash a lot of things and there is constant maintenance required to ensure there is no buildup. And there is a large cost involved as well when it comes to repairs and replacements.
Staining is something that you will see when there is hard water. Because hard water has a high percentage of dissolved minerals, there will be stains and white deposits around your faucets, bathtubs, toilets etc. It can take a lot of elbow grease to get rid of this staining. You will be able to eliminate the effects of hard water by using water softeners. This buildup of scale or mineral deposits is the main challenge with hard water. These deposits can form inside your coffeepots, kettles and there will be a chalky film left on cutlery, dishes, glassware etc. It can be quite difficult to remove these deposits. They can also clog up your washing machine, dishwasher and your plumbing system. When appliances and equipment are affected by these deposits, they will need routine maintenance and they will also break down faster requiring you to replace them frequently.
Hard water can reduce the effectiveness of laundry detergents and this will leave you with a residence on your clothing. Your clothing will also become rough and scratchy after each wash and they can fade quickly. You might also notice a sour smell coming from the clothes. There is a higher wear and tear on the fabrics as a result of hard water. You will be able to ensure that your clothes and linens last a longer time by installing a water softener. It is not just laundry that is affected by hard water. Your skin and hair can be greatly affected as well. Hard water can block the pores in your skin leading to inflammation, pimples, blackheads etc. And you will find that soap has a difficult time dissolving in hard water. There will be a sticky residue left on your fingers no matter how much water you use. And this is not effective when it comes to removing dirt and bacteria on your skin. This residue can deposit on your hair and cause it to become dry and dull.
If you have moved into a new area and you notice that your utility bill is higher than normal, this can be caused by hard water. Because of scale buildup in the pipes, it can block the plumbing making it harder for the heating system to push water through the reduced pipe openings. The efficiency of water heaters and boilers is drastically reduced when there is hard water. Your water heater will frequently malfunction. Scale will form inside the tank of the water heater much more quickly with hard water and this can wreak havoc on the heating element of the tank. All of these things can lead to a rise in your electricity bill.