Along with a good many reviews on water softeners and water filtration systems you will also find I have done my level best to make sure you get as much information as possible regarding the water that comes through your taps.
During the months I have been researching the subject of hard water, I have come across a LOT of people who really worry about the dangers and to some extent you have good reason to be. The first thing that springs to mind is how hard water can affect your health, and that’s where I intend to start.
Your Health and Hard Water
Hard water contains various minerals like calcium and magnesium (very good for you, you might think, and that would be true, to a point). Everyone needs a certain amount of these in their bodies. Calcium for instance is good for making sure your bones are strong and healthy, and magnesium will do the same thing as well as help your body process fat and protein.
However, we all know things should be taken in moderation and if you’re over exposed it can cause you health problems like tiredness, vomiting or diarrhoea. This isn’t to say that people who live with the hassle of hard water will always have a problem it’s just something to think about.
Your Home and Hard Water
Anyone who suffers with moderate to severe hard water will know what damage it can do. The contaminants already mentioned can stick to the surfaces of your water pipes, build-up around your faucets and cause all sorts of problems with appliances that use water (especially toilets).
If you notice that you’re getting white spots on your chrome sink, or any other metallic surface in the home, it’s likely you have a hard water problem.
If this isn’t dealt with the lime-scale (as it’s known) will soon build-up and you’ll have to use a LOT of elbow grease to get it off. In fact, I have come across cases where people have felt the need to scrape it off with a knife!
So now you know what can happen when you see lime-scale, imagine what it’s doing to your pipes. In some cases you may notice your water pressure has reduced, and the reason for this could be that you have one or more water pipes encrusted from the inside with lime-scale.
Again, if you don’t deal with the issue, your pipes may not be able to cope and that can bring about a very messy and expensive plumbing job.
Speaking of Expense…
If you have hard water in your home, the chances are that you will need to use more detergent in your washing machine, your dishwasher might be deemed as useless because glass items never come up clean enough and when you’re in the shower it takes you an age to work up a lather with your soap.
Imagine how much extra money you’re spending on detergents? How much more on soap for the shower? And how much you spend on additional cleaning products that profess to get rid of lime-scale.
Plus, you have the added headache of dealing with various appliances breaking down around the home which will also cost you more in repair or replacement.
In the worst cases, you could end up having to pay a huge bill to a plumber so they can clear your pipes, and if that wasn’t bad enough they might even need replacing.
Overall
The reasons above are enough (in my humble opinion) to do whatever you can to stop hard water from coming through your waterworks, and that’s why you will find plenty of reviews on water softeners on my website.