There are many adjectives you want to be able to use to describe your home’s water, like wet, clear, fresh, odorless, and tasteless. Likewise, there are several more that you don’t want to use to describe the water in your home, like smelly, cloudy, discolored, or unpalatable. So, how do you describe your water? If your water description is on the negative side, you may have a hard water problem. The best way to solve a hard water problem is by installing a quality water softening system.

Not sure if you are ready for a water softener? Continue reading to learn some common signs that indicate your home is in need of a water softener.

Signs of Hard Water in the Home

Although there are several signs, large and small, that indicate your home is experiencing a higher level of water hardness. However, by examining these four top signs of hard water in the home, you can quickly determine if water hardness is indeed a problem in your house.

Sink and Tub Stains

Take a look at your bathroom sinks, shower, and tub basin. Do you see rust-like staining on the porcelain or around the drainage hardware? If so, this is likely due to hard water. You see, hard, water is hard because it contains hard mineral ions and dissolved metals. When these come into contact with your porcelain bathroom fixtures, it will begin to permeate and corrode from within, causing the telltale staining you see.

Scale Buildup

Perhaps the most blatant sign that your home is experiencing. Water hardness is limes buildup. Take a look at your shower fixtures, your faucets, plumbing hardware, and similar fixtures. Do you see a white, flaky, crusty material, forming around them? This is known as scale, and it is a mixture of hard mineral ions that precipitate out of hot water and stick to whatever surface they come into contact with. Although you can treat scale as it comes, it will never fully go away unless you first fix the hard water problem.

Increased Utility Bills

Do you keep track of your water and energy bills each month? If you’ve noticed that they’ve increased, even though you’ve not done anything differently, do not chalk it up to inflation or the current economic condition. It might be caused by scale buildup inside your water heater tank and similar plumbing appliances, like the washing machine and dishwasher.

Scale buildup inside of your plumbing pipes and appliances causes your system to work harder just to perform the same job that they have always performed. As a result, your appliances use more energy, which cost you more money. Scale buildup inside of the water heater tank can also cause you to wait longer for your shower or bathtub to heat up. This increases your energy bill and your water bill.

Dingy and Faded Clothing  

Have you been scratching your head while switching detergents and fabric softeners over and over again, but still your laundry feels dry and looks faded? Your problem could be hard water. You know that scale that we’ve been talking about? Well, it can also affect the quality of your clothing in any other upholsterer items you wash in your washing machine. It can also affect washing machine performance, namely by not properly rinsing out the detergents and fabric softeners from your laundered items. If your clothes feel sticky or greasy, it could be due to this.

Are you ready to learn why a water softener is the best choice for your home or office? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for water softener sales, service, and installation in Indianapolis, Indiana. We serve residential and commercial clients.

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