Hard water is a common phenomenon in the United States. In fact, 85% of the country is known to have hard water. While it poses no serious health risks, many homeowners and business owners still find hard water to be an annoyance. Read on to learn more about what causes hard water and the common effects it has on your plumbing fixtures, appliances, and other surfaces.
What Causes Hard Water?
Hard water is water that contains a great amount of mineral content, particularly magnesium and calcium. These minerals are picked up as the water moves through rocks and soil and the degree of hardness can vary based on both location and the source of the water. For example, hard water is predominantly found in groundwater – water that seeps through layers of mineral-rich rock on its path to underground aquifers, absorbing hardness-causing minerals along the way. While this mineral rich water is not a danger to our health, it can often cause a number of negative effects on households and businesses alike. The minerals found in hard water are known to resist dissolution and will consequently return to a hardened form. As a result, hard water can cause mineral buildup in pipes and appliances, reduce the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, and leave stains on various surfaces like sinks, bathtubs, fixtures, and shower doors.
Common Signs of Hard Water
How do you know if you have hard water? Here are a few common signs:
Unpleasant odor or taste in water
Poor lathering of soaps and shampoos
Brown or red stains in sinks, showers, and bathtubs
Stained or spotty dishes and glassware
Dry and itchy skin
Reduced water pressure
Soften Your Water With UDI
UDI offers industry-leading water purification systems that work with well water and public utility water. The Water Pro Plus Water Softener uses a high-capacity resin to remove hardness and iron, with activated carbon to also reduce chlorine and unpleasant tastes or odors.
To treat the water flowing throughout your entire home or business, including purified water for drinking, contact us about the Hydro-5 STS® and ULTRA-6® reverse osmosis system.
More Hard Water Facts:
Florida and Georgia are unfortunately known to have extremely hard water due to the geological makeup and coastal proximity of both states. Most of the groundwater is pulled from the Floridian Aquifer System, which is one of the most productive aquifers in the world. It underlies an area of approximately 100,000 square miles beneath all of Florida and parts of southeastern Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. The groundwater often permeates through limestone where it picks up a good amount of magnesium and calcium, making the water hard.
Let UDI Rid Your Home of Hard Water
UDI has been proudly providing top quality water purification and treatment services in Florida and Georgia since 1979. Do you think that your home or business has hard water? Schedule a free water test with UDI today!
