Do you have hard water?
If you have noticed your clothes looking dingy, high heating bills and buildup of soap scum on your shower walls, you could have hard water. Water is considered to be hard when it has a high volume of mineral deposits such as calcium and magnesium. Though these minerals are healthy for the body, they can cause damage to pipes and cause soaps and cleaners to be less effective. There are several options for softening the water in your home.
Instructions
1. Use a water filtering pitcher to soften drinking water. For around $20, you can buy a basic water filter pitcher that softens the water and removes chlorine. It provides better tasting and healthier drinking water in your home. The disadvantage to using a filtering pitcher is that it filters only your drinking water, not the water that goes through your pipes. Laundry water, shower water and hose water will still be hard. Lime scale deposits can still build up in pipes and heating systems.
2. Try a faucet filter. Faucet water filters are very similar to the pitcher filters, except that they filter your water right at the faucet. They are inexpensive and easy to install: just screw them onto the faucet. This may be more convenient than using a pitcher because you can use the filtered water for cooking, cleaning dishes and making coffee without having to filter it in the pitcher first. Because the water is only filtered right at the faucet, the disadvantages are the same as for the water pitcher.
3. Consider installing a mechanical water-softening system in your home. It removes calcium and chlorine by using sodium. It is much more expensive than the portable filters but may save you money in the long run. Mechanical water softeners can make your heating system more efficient and prevents the buildup of lime scale in pipes. This system is installed right into the plumbing, so the water can be used for all household purposes including laundry, shower water and drinking water.
4. Install a magnetic water conditioner if you want a more budget-friendly option. One advantage of a magnetic water conditioner is that it does not remove calcium from the water, but chemically alters it so that it cannot cause lime scale damage. Calcium is beneficial to your diet, so removing it from water isn't always the best choice. If you are on a budget, this system may be preferable to the mechanical water softeners. It is inexpensive and easy to install yourself. However, the research on how effective the magnetic water conditioners are is mixed.
5. Consider a chemical water softener if you own a laundry business. There are many advantages to chemical water softeners. The process removes calcium and magnesium and can be less damaging to clothing. However, water that is softened by chemical treatment is not suitable to be used as drinking water.
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