Hard Water Causes Pipe Scale and Other Problems
Most United Kingdom homeowners have to deal with hard water problems. Water is considered “hard” when it contains high levels of ions and minerals that have dissolved into the water. The minerals that are the most worrisome are magnesium and calcium. Hard water is made of rain water that has fallen on ion and mineral rich soil”the ions and minerals get into the water and are transferred to the water table. When the rain falls onto hard stone or soil that is especially peaty it will stay soft as these cannot be absorbed into the water.
Hard water is definitely less desirable than soft water. This is because the minerals that are dissolved in hard water often collect in the piping systems of homes and buildings as well as on the insides of machines and other household appliances. This build up of minerals makes it harder for the machines to work properly.
When your home has hard water it also makes it harder to clean because the minerals interfere with the lathering action of your soap making it harder to rinse the soap from whatever you are cleaning. All of the extra work your machines are doing and water you use as you try to keep your house and body clean cause your energy and water rates to rise. If you let the scale build up too long in your pipes, they will need replacing”a very expensive endeavour.
Many homeowners in the United Kingdom have found that installing a water softener can help a great deal in ridding hard water of its mineral content. A water softener sits between a ground water source and your home and acts as a filter to trap all of the minerals that cause the water to be hard. The filters act as strainers to trap the calcium, magnesium and other minerals that are found in UK hard water.
Some water softener manufacturers include filters that will filter out other things as well as hard water minerals, creating a soft water that is easy to wash and clean with and won’t build up mineral scale on your home’s pipes.
Depending on the minerals and ions that are contained in the hard water in your local area, your hard water could be dangerous both for your house and your body. Calcium and Magnesium are the most feared ions because they can cause terrible health problems when too much of either is absorbed into the body.
Left unchecked, mineral scale can do so much damage to your home’s plumbing system that your pipes wear thin and start to leak. The damage is clear when one looks into a water or heating pipe which is fully blocked by minerals deposits.