Hard water is a widespread issue facing homeowners in and around Marshalltown. Unfortunately, it can cause serious damage if left untreated.

Knowing the difference between hard water vs. soft water is the first step in protecting your home plumbing In this blog, the experts at B & G HVAC will explain what hard water is, the warning signs you have hard water and how hard water affects your plumbing. Then, we’ll explain how we can protect your home.

What’s the Between Hard Water and Soft Water?

What is hard water? It’s water that has elevated amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals are harmless to drink but can damage your plumbing.

By comparison, soft water has those minerals removed. Unlike hard water, soft water is plumbing-friendly.

Signs of Hard Water in Your Home

Hard water often leaves telltale clues around your home:

  • Chalky buildup on fixtures
  • Lower water pressure
  • Dry skin or brittle hair
  • Stiff or faded laundry
  • Shampoo doesn’t lather up well
  • Spots on dishes after washing in dishwasher

If you experienced any of these issues, call B & G HVAC for professional testing. Our team will test your water hardness levels (grains per gallon/PPM), so we know exactly how hard your water is and how to fix it.

Common Hard Water Effects on Plumbing

Why does it matter if you have hard water in your home? Hard water causes minerals to stick to the inside of your pipes, which eventually becomes something called limescale.

Limescale accumulation narrows the interior of your pipes, which can slow water movement and even cause clogs or damage.

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

Plumbing Leaks

Hard water scale buildup along the inside of pipes can create uneven surfaces. This speeds up corrosion and raises the risk of small leaks. This is especially true in older metal plumbing.

Damage to Home Appliances

Mineral limescale buildup in your washing machine or boiler can lead to big problems. It forces these appliances to work harder by coating heating elements and parts with limescale, causing them to break down sooner.

Lower Water Pressure

As limescale accumulates inside pipes, it limits water flow. You may notice signs of reduced water pressure, such as weaker shower streams 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 unsightly soap scum and hard water staining:

  • Soap scum: Forms when soap reacts with calcium and magnesium in hard water to create insoluble salts. This dull, sticky film doesn’t dissolve.
  • Hard water stains: Formed when water evaporates and leaves minerals behind. It can appear as mineral rings on fixtures, as well as visible residue in sinks, showers and bathtubs. It can even cloud the glassware in the dishwasher. Sometimes hard water stains have rust-colored staining if your water contains high levels of iron.

Easy, Afforable Ways to Protect Your Home from Hard Water with B & G HVAC

What can you do about hard water? From initial testing to prevention, B & G HVAC provides complete hard water solutions in Marshalltown. 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 prevent new hard water damage from happening by setting up a water softening system. We also can work with you to find the best filtration system to remove hard water for your home. These systems limit mineral buildup in pipes, providing soft, mineral-free water.

Stop hard water damage now! Contact a local plumber from B & G HVAC by calling 641-649-4649 today!