Using a Water Softener to Solve Your Homes Hard Water Problem

If your home has a hard water problem then you are far from alone. Eight out of ten homes do. However good 21st century technology is it is not a problem that can be solved at water treatments plants. A water softener can solve the problem though – and for far less than you might think.

Do I Have Hard Water at Home?

If you answer yes to any of the following you can be fairly certain that the water flowing into your home is hard water:

  • You buy expensive soaps and detergents that other people rave about but your clothes still never quit look clean after being washed and you still feel sticky when you get out of the shower.
  • Even though you use a good dish-washing liquid you still have filmy glassware however many times you rinse.
  • Your water has a slightly unpleasant smell, often a very sulfur like one.
  • Your water is unpleasant tasting.
  • Your household appliances do not seem to last as long as other peoples.

What Causes Hard Water?

Hard water is caused by mineral deposits that dissolve into the water and cannot be removed at the water treatment plant. These minerals include lead, limestone, calcium, magnesium and iron. Sulfur and even trace amounts of sewage may be in the water as well.

What a Water Softener Will Do

A water softener will do exactly what its name says it will, soften the water. Within the main body of the water softener are thousands of tiny sodium coated resin beads. When water enters the softener and passes over these beads the bad mineral ions are drawn to the resin beads like a metal to a magnet and replaced with good sodium ions. The water is therefore softer.

The sodium ions do have to be replaced once in a while, something that is achieved using water from a separate brine tank. Most water softeners can be programmed to perform this task automatically on an as needed basis, all you have to remember to do is refill the salt supply.

Once you have softer water you really will notice a difference. Water will small and taste fresher and cleaner. Your clothes, dishes and body will all be cleaner. You will spend less as well, both on household supplies and on your utility bills as your appliances are no longer fighting a mineral build up and having to work a little too hard.