“Do I Have Hard Water?”
September 09, 2024
Are you using double the normal amount of shampoo just to get the kind of sudsing action you like? Does it take an extra scoop of laundry detergent to get your clothes as clean as they should be? And how about your water glasses – are you noticing a milky haze on them after running them through the dishwasher?
If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you probably have hard water.
The good news – if you can call this good news – is that an estimated 85% of US homes have some level of hard water to contend with. And while this is one water quality issue that poses no health risks, it can take its toll on your plumbing and appliances while cause soaps and detergents to under-perform. And what happens when they under-perform? You use more of them, and that costs more money than it should.
As water travels through rock and soil, it picks up minerals like calcium and magnesium. Because water is a solvent, it dissolves those minerals and holds onto them in a solution. So, the higher the mineral content, the harder the water, and the more problems it can cause.
Fortunately, there is a solution: a water softener installed and maintained by the water quality pros at Conway Services. A water softener is a mechanical appliance that we plumb into your water supply system. In effect, it’s designed to trade the minerals for something else, usually sodium. This process, for the record, is called ion exchange.
Some of the sodium used to flush out the minerals will remain in the water and you might notice a slightly salty taste. But that can be eliminated by installing an under-sink water filter in your kitchen, one that works for hand in hand with your water softener. This is an especially popular option among our customers on restricted salt diets.
With your hard water problems rectified, you’ll enjoy cleaner clothes, whiter whites, cleaner dishes, and less money spent on personal and home cleaning supplies. There will also be less wear and tear on your water-using appliances and on the inside of your water pipes.
Contact Conway Services today for a free in-home consultation on how to improve the quality of your home water supply. We have the right solution for any home and any budget.