Is a Water Softener Right for Your Home?

What’s the difference between hard water and soft water? You may think that the only drawback of hard water is the way your skin dries out after a shower or the way your dishes always have a kind of residue on them, no matter how much you scrub. But, unfortunately, hard water causes many more problems that you may not be aware of.

Oftentimes the problems hard water causes can be much more costly than installing a water softener in your home. Read on to learn about hard water signs and how a water softener can save you money.

Signs You Need Water Softener Services

Hard water has a high mineral content of calcium or magnesium. While not inherently harmful to humans, hard water can cause problems and generally make life uncomfortable and expensive. If you’re not sure whether or not you have hard water, look for the telltale signs.

Hard water can cause your sinks, bathtubs, and toilets to become discolored with grimy mineral buildup. It can also cause dry skin, itchy hair, and a residue on dishes. Hard water can also prematurely fade your clothes, towels, and sheets.

But most of all, the mineral buildup from hard water can cause plumbing issues. If your water bill is high or your water pressure is low, chances are you have hard water. If you do nothing to fix the issues, they will only get worse.

Water Softener Salt to the Rescue

Water softeners operate with two separate tanks: one with resin beads and one with salt. The resin beads work to remove the minerals that make your water hard. But, eventually, those beads can no longer remove those minerals. So, water softener salt comes to the rescue by re-setting the resin beads.

Once the beads are able to remove the hardness ions from the water, the whole process starts again. This not only saves your skin, your clothes, and your pipes; it saves you money. The salt eventually wears down and needs replacing, but it can be bought at many grocery stores or hardware stores, especially if hard water is common in your area.

The Unexpected Costs of Hard Water

If you have hard water, it’s not a matter of if but when you’ll have to spend money to fix your plumbing or your water heater. But, even before that day comes, you’ll still be paying more than you should for your water bill.

Hard water lowers the efficiency of your water heater by way of mineral buildup inside the tank. The more buildup in your water heater’s tank, the longer it takes for your heater to get the water to temperature.

Plus, limescale buildup in the water heater tank reduces the amount of water it can heat at a time, costing energy and time which shows on your utility bills. The same buildup can affect your plumbing system and cause your pipes to clog and your water pressure to go down.

This means that your efficiency goes down and your water bill goes up. Luckily, water softeners take care of all the hard-water related issues by softening the water before it hits your water heater or your home’s plumbing system. The cost of a water softener installation is an investment.

It’s the best way to head off issues that will no doubt arise as a result of the hard water in your area. Most of the time, the cost of a water softener is much less than the cost of fixing serious plumbing problems or replacing your water heater more often than you otherwise would.

Trust a Local Plumbing Expert

Celebrating 100 years of service in 2020, Bud’s Plumbing & Repair Service has been the go-to for plumbing issues in the Evansville, Indiana, area. Their expert technicians are trained rigorously and their customer service is second to none. They’re A+ rated by the BBB, and received the Angie’s List Super Service Award in 2012. For fast, friendly, and stellar service, call Bud’s Plumbing & Repair Service today.

• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +