How water becomes hard
- When it rains the water falling from the sky is naturally soft, these droplets have yet to accumulate minerals. As water runs through soil and over rocks it breaks down minerals. These minerals accumulate and attach to water molecules through a process called molecular bonding.
- When calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate are dissolved by passing water they yield calcium and magnesium cations (Ca2+, Ma2+), and carbonate and bicarbonate anions (CO3 -2, HCO3-). This is the source of hard water.
- Municipal water is treated to protect against coliform and bacteria, but little to nothing is done to address hardness. As such hardness effects those on both municipal and privates wells.
The damaging effect of hard water
- When hard water coats the inside of your household plumbing it restricts the flow of water coming into your household.
- As hardness coats the inside of your water heater it also covers your heating element. This means your water heater has to work harder, and will also require more energy.
- Many household have to wash their dishes prior to loading them into the dishwasher. One of the main reasons for this is hardness building up within jets, diminishing your dishwasher’s ability to clean. Your dishes may also appear spotty.
- Scale can build up on household facets and shower heads.
The direct effect of hard water on you
- Hard water is one of the leading causes of dry skin, it can also aggregate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
- Most hair salons have water softeners due to the fact that hardness can dry out and damage hair.