Hard Water
by Nick Gromicko, CMI®
Water “hardness” refers to the level of minerals found in a home’s water supply. Hard water results when an excessive amount of minerals, chiefly calcium and magnesium, are dissolved into water as it passes through soil and rock. The degree of hardness becomes greater as the mineral content increases. Hard water presents numerous mechanical and aesthetic problems in homes, but it is not 
considered a health hazard to humans.
considered a health hazard to humans.Identifying Hard Water
The best way to determine whether or not a home has hard water is to have it tested. For homes served by municipal water systems, you can ask the water supplier about the hardness level of the water they deliver. Private water supplies can be tested for hardness. However, hard water (especially if it is excessively hard) can be detected by inspectors and their clients through the negative effects it has on a home. The most common problems associated with hard water are:
- poor washing machine performance. Clothes washed in hard water often look dingy and feel scratchy or stiff. Continuous laundering in hard water can damage fibers and shorten the lifespan of clothes;
- a mineral ring around the tip of a faucet or in a toilet bowl;
- unsightly, whitish scale deposits in pipes, water heaters, tea kettles, pots, silverware and dishes;
- calcification of taps and shower- heads;
- inefficient and costly operation of water-using appliances. Pipes can become clogged with scale that reduces water flow, ultimately requiring pipe replacement. Crystalline deposits (limescale) have been known to increase energy bills considerably;
- soap curd and scum in washbasins and bathtubs. Bathing with soap in hard water leaves a film of sticky soap curd on the skin, which may prevent removal of soil and bacteria. Soap curd on hair may make it dull, lifeless and difficult to manage. Soap curd also interferes with the return of skin to its normal, slightly acid condition, and may lead to irritation; and
- limescale in solar heating systems. Solar heating, often used to heat swimming pools, is prone to limescale buildup, which can reduce the efficiency of the electronic pump.
