Hard water is a widespread issue facing homeowners in and around Paxinos. Unfortunately, it can result in costly damage if left untreated.

Understanding the difference between hard water vs. soft water is the first step in protecting your home plumbing In this blog, the pros at LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. will define what hard water is, the warning signs you have hard water and how hard water affects your plumbing. Most importantly, you’ll learn what we can do to protect your home.

What’s the Difference: Hard Water vs. Soft Water?

How do we define hard water? It’s water that has a high level of of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals are harmless to drink but can damage your plumbing.

On the other hand, soft water has those minerals removed. Unlike hard water, soft water is doesn’tnot going to damage your plumbing system.

Signs You Have Hard Water in Your Home

If you have hard water, you may see several warning signs:

  • A chalky, white residue on fixtures
  • Lower water pressure
  • Dry skin or brittle hair
  • Stiff or faded laundry
  • Shampoo doesn’t lather up when you wash your hair
  • Spots on dishes after washing in dishwasher

If you see any of these warning signs in your own home, call LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. for professional testing. Our knowledgeable staff will test your water hardness levels (grains per gallon/PPM), so we know exactly how hard your water is and how to fix it.

Frequently Reported Hard Water Effects on Plumbing

What’s the benefit in knowing if you have hard water in your home? Hard water causes minerals to attach to the inside of your pipes, which eventually becomes something called limescale.

Limescale buildup narrows the available space inside of your pipes, which can restrict water flow and even cause clogs or damage.

Here are examples of the issues that hard water limescale deposits can cause in your plumbing:

Pipe Damage and Leaks

Hard water scale buildup inside pipes can create rough surfaces. This accelerates corrosion and raises the risk of small leaks. This is most likely in older metal plumbing.

Appliance Damage

Mineral limescale buildup in your washing machine or boiler can result in costly damage. It forces these appliances to strain to operate by coating heating elements and parts with limescale, causing them to fail.

Lower Water Pressure

As limescale forms inside pipes, it limits water flow. You may notice signs of low water pressure, such as reduced spray strength or tubs taking longer to fill with water.

Soap Scum Build-Up and Hard Water Stains

Another effect of hard water in your plumbing is noticeable soap scum and hard water staining:

  • Soap scum: Develops when soap reacts with calcium and magnesium in hard water to create insoluble salts. This grimy buildup doesn’t wash off.
  • Hard water stains: Created when water evaporates and leaves behind mineral residue. It can appear as a crust around faucets, as well as visible residue in sinks, showers and bathtubs. It can even discolor the glassware in the dishwasher. Sometimes hard water stains have a reddish tint if your water contains high levels of iron.

Find Ways to Protect Your Home from Hard Water with LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc.

What can you do about hard water? From evaluation and testing to prevention, LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. provides complete hard water solutions in Paxinos. We fix hard water damage, offering solutions such as descaling pipes and fixtures to remove stubborn mineral deposits and flushing appliances to restore flow and efficiency.

Our plumbing services also protect your home from future hard water problems by installing a water softener. We also can help you find the best filtration system to remove hard water in your home. Water softeners and filtration solutions reduce limescale in your plumbing, providing clean, soft water.

Stop hard water damage today! Contact a local plumber from LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. by calling 570-648-0748 today!