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Water is an important natural resource on the planet. From the tropical jungles to the plains to humanity, everything is dependent on water for life. But, not all water is created equal. Hard water is a silent problem, slowly building up over time. In fact, there are not many places in the United States without hard water. Over 80% of the country deals with hard water, whether as a municipality or as individual homes. It is called hard water because of the high mineral content, especially calcium and magnesium. As the water soaks through the ground, it travels through limestone and chalk deposits, dissolving bits on the way. All the dissolved minerals end up in the groundwater where most homes get their water. One of the best ways to combat hard water is by using a water softener. A water softener in Saint Paul homes not only conditions the water but also protects and extends the life of a home's plumbing system. Why You Should Soften Your Water There are a few benefits to the hard water, including adding needed calcium to people’s diets. But, the positives are far outweighed by the negatives. As the hard water travels through pipes and faucets, little bits of minerals are left behind, building up over time. Over time, pipes can begin to clog, eventually closing up altogether. Or, it builds up in water faucets, causing them to drip constantly and waste water. The shower is one of the worst places for buildup, especially the doors. The most destructive problems occur in the water heater, where the mineral build up is not seen. As the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” Many people do not even think about what is going on inside their water heater. Mineral buildup starts on the heating element, making it less efficient. And as the minerals settle to the bottom and continue to grow, they can bulge the tank causing leaks. The problems are not limited to the plumbing, though. Hard water does not interact well with soap, preventing the suds from building and cleaning. Thus, more soap and water are needed to get things clean. Clothes washers have a hard time cleaning clothes and the dishwasher faces the same challenge. The dishwasher has additional problems as the mineral buildup can occur inside it, clogging sprayers and leaving spots and soap film on the dishes. Or, hard water has a difficult time dissolving oil and grease and carrying it away. This goes for the dishes as well as facial pores. How Softeners Work Water softeners will reduce or even eliminate the excess minerals in the water. There are usually two parts to the softener; the mineral tank and the brine tank. Hard water flows into the mineral tank where ions from the minerals are sapped with negatively charged resins. The resin ions trap the minerals and swap them for sodium ions from the brine tank. The softened water flows out to the rest of the house. Eventually the mineral tank will run out of ions to swap and needs to be recharged. Water from the brine tank is back flowed into the mineral tank to recharge the ions and and “rinse” the hard water out and send it down the drain. Many people think a water filter on their faucet will take care of everything. But a filter only gets rid of contaminants. The minerals are too small to be trapped in a filter. The only way to get rid of the minerals and, therefore, the hard water is with a water softener. For help with purchasing and installing a water softener in Saint Paul, contact your local plumber for more information. All appliances that rely on water to either fuel or complete a task benefit greatly from softened water. Water softener Saint Paul! Visit our page on http://www.21centurywatermn.com/ for more info!
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