How to Tell if You Have Hard Water
If you are living with hard water, you may be familiar with the itchy skin, white spots on the dishes, and brittle hair that often result from showering in hard water. What you may not know is that hard water can be causing big problems throughout your house that you may not be aware of until something breaks. Luckily there are hard water solutions that can take care of your water issues, but first you have to know how to identify hard water. Identifying hard water before it turns into a bigger problem for you and your home is crucial to preventing future discomfort and costly repairs.
What is Hard Water?
Contrary to what the name suggests, hard water, by itself, doesn’t feel different from soft water. “Hard Water” is a term used to describe water with a high mineral content. It is notorious for causing problems like dry skin, dull skin, or water spots. But sometimes hard water can cause much more serious issues like damaged appliances or clogged pores.
If you want to know exactly how hard your water may be, a water quality expert can test your water for these minerals. The US Geological Service has created classifications to help determine where exactly your water falls on a scale of soft to hard. By measuring the amount of calcium carbonate in a liter of water, it will fall into one of the following categories.
Soft Water: tests lower than 60 mg/L
Moderately Hard: tests come in between 61-120 mg/L
Hard: reports in at 121-180 mg/L
Very Hard: contains greater than 180 mg/L
Your water can fall anywhere on this spectrum, and the classification of your water will determine the severity of your hard water problem. Determining exactly how hard your water is will also help you and your local water experts decide which measures to use to fix the problem.
Should I Have My Water Tested?
If you believe you have a problem with hard water, it’s probably because you have noticed some of the telltale signs. Here are some of the top signs you may be living with hard water.
• Taste and Smell – The minerals that your water absorbs on its journey to your home can affect your water’s taste and smell. If you don’t like the taste of your water or it has a funky smell, chances are it has a high mineral content contributing to the problem.
• Water Spots – The telltale sign of hard water is the formation of white spots that your water leaves behind. You’ll often find them on your shower fixtures, sink faucets, or clean dishes. While water spots are frustrating to scrub away, removing them is wise. Over time, they can accumulate into a pesky, hard to clean buildup.
• Skin – If you’ve moved into a new home and noticed an uptick in skin issues, your water may be to blame. Hard water contributes to a myriad of skin problems, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, and dry skin, just to name a few.
• Hair – Water can also change your hair texture. Hard water can be to blame for dry, brittle, or limp hair. You may also notice it’s difficult to rinse out shampoo and conditioner. This is because hard water works against your hair products, requiring more product to achieve the same results. If your hair is suffering, your water could be the culprit.
• Soap – The mineral compounds present in hard water make your soap less effective. Hand soap, dish soap, cleaners, and even shampoo must work hard to break down the compounds and do their job. If you notice it is hard to rinse the soap off of your hands or built up to soap scum in your shower, it’s an indicator that your water is hard.
• Water Pressure – Limescale accumulates in your water lines as a result of hard water, and eventually, this can create clogs in your pipes and impede the flow of water. If your water isn’t flowing like it once did, you may have limescale calcification in your plumbing or appliance lines.
• Appliances – If your appliances have constant issues or aren’t working to your standards, it may be hard water. Limescale can calcify in appliance water lines and mechanical parts, causing them to stop working. If you notice your washer isn’t cleaning your clothes well or your dishwasher leaves your dishes dirty, hard water may be to blame.
How Can I Test for Hard Water?
If you have signs of hard water, the next step is to get your water tested to know exactly what you are up against. The harder your water, the more extreme measures you may need to take to address the issue. You can go about testing your water a few different ways.
Test Strips
You can purchase test strips that will give you a quick and easy idea of the water composition in your home. They are easy to use, give fast results, and can be found at any hardware store. The test strips will turn a color that coincides with a chart to help you identify your water’s PPM (parts per million) or GPG (grains per gallon).
Professional Testing
Most geographic regions have consistent water trends. Most residents of southeast Texas have hard water, and water softener services are popular in this area. Water softener companies in San Antonio Texas are familiar with area water sources. They will come to your home to test your water. After testing for hard water, they will consult with you about your options for water softeners and filters that meet the specific needs of your water hardness and home size.
Hard water is a pesky problem, but it isn’t one that you have to live with. A new water system can be installed in a few hours, leaving you with higher quality, better-tasting water. Modern technology has made treating the water for your entire home easy and low maintenance. Upgrading your house with a new water softener and filter system will increase your home value, prevent damage caused by hard water, and make you a happier homeowner.
