Water might be classified as hard or soft, but these two categories are not that distinct. Water hardness runs across an entire range of mineral concentrations, and what might be hard
Pipes Constantly Overrun by Scale
Hard water contains more minerals, so it leaves more mineral deposits, or scale, inside your home's plumbing. That results in more plumbing trouble, requiring more repair. You'll also see increased water bills as you use more water to try to get things clean. By switching to softened water, you reduce the mineral deposits and then reduce the damage, repair bills, and water bills. So if you have noticed that you have to have more and more scale removed from your home's plumbing, it's time to get a water softener.
Skin Feels Awful
Hard water can do two things to your skin. One is that the mineral deposits dry out your skin, often leading to irritation and dryness. The other is that, when you wash your hands or bathe, your skin feels like it just can't get clean. It feels rough or even sticky because hard water doesn't make soap that effective. A lack of lather is also a sign of hard water, so when you test this by washing your hands, for example, be sure to use a brand of soap that you know lathers well under normal circumstances.
Laundry Suffers
Washing clothing in hard water can lead to faded colors, graying whites, and rough material. While using vinegar as a fabric softener can help a tad, the real solution lies in fixing the water supply. You have to remove the minerals that are wreaking havoc with your clothing, rather than using a stopgap measure like vinegar to hopefully get rid of some of the minerals. Once you start using softened water, your laundry detergent will do a better job of getting clothes clean without destroying their colors.
Water softeners vary in size and shape, but all have the same goal of removing those minerals from your water. If you've been dealing with too much soap scum and scale, and your skin and clothes are clearly worse off than before, it's time to get a softener. To find out more, speak with someone like Anderson Water Systems.
