Why do I need soft water

Why do I need soft water?

“Is something wrong with my water?”

Water can be considered a universal solvent. As it passes from liquid to vapor and back again to liquid in its natural cycle, it has a tendency to dissolve everything it touches. In the air, water vapor can mix with sulfur from smokestacks, forming an acid which will eventually fall back to earth as rain, sleet, hail or snow. As water passes through the surface of the earth to the water tables below, it dissolves minerals and other substances it may encounter, including PCBs, bacteria, fertilizers and insecticides.

Most water contains more than water. Almost all of the water found in the U.S. is hard water. Hard water is water that is contaminated with dissolved minerals – like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, lead and limestone – that can have a negative impact on you, your household and your pocketbook.

Depending on where you live, contaminants from sewage, industrial waste and agricultural run-off can also seep into your water supply. Hard water produces scale. If there are stains or buildup on your sinks and bathtubs … if you have to use large amounts of soap to clean dishes or wash your hair … or if your water tastes or smells odd, you probably have hard water.

If left untreated, the minerals in hard water will cause yellow stains on plumbing fixtures and be deposited as scale, eventually clogging plumbing and shortening the life of appliances like washing machines, water heaters and dishwashers. Scale deposits not only cut down on the efficiency of these appliances, they cost you money, increasing both energy and maintenance bills.

Water softeners eliminate the effects of hard water. They “soften” the water by removing the calcium and magnesium found there, extending the useful life of water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, coffeemakers, humidifiers and household plumbing systems by as much as 30%.