WHAT IS HARD WATER?

Did you know that there are different kinds of water? The United States Geological Survey (USGS) classifies water into 4 categories: soft, moderately hard, hard, and very hard. These classifications of water are determined by checking how many minerals are in the water.¹ The hardness of your water is measured by grains per gallon (GPG).² If the water has less than 1 GPG, it’s considered soft. Water that is between 1 – 3.5 GPG is moderately hard. Anything over 3.5 GPG is hard water. And water above 10.5 is classified as very hard water. I bet this makes you wonder where Phoenix falls on the scale, doesn’t it? Most water tests put Phoenix about 20 GPG. Twenty! That’s almost double the amount that qualifies it as very hard water in the first place. That’s why Arizona is featured on the Wikipedia page for hard water, but that’s not really a compliment.

WHAT DOES HARD WATER DO?

Hard water leaves a build-up of limescale (often shortened to scale) in bathrooms, in plumbing pipes, and in appliances. It can shorten the life of your dishwasher, your water heater, and your faucets and pipes. As the water flows through and over pipes and faucets the concentrated minerals present in hard water leave calcium deposits on them. Over time, these tiny amounts of minerals build on one another creating the build-up you can see on the outside of faucets and showerheads. The same thing is happening unseen in your plumbing pipes too as deposits of minerals are coating the pipes. That build-up means the flow of water is restricted and it takes more energy to push the water through the pipes. And if left unchecked, the build-up can eventually seal off your pipes! At Precision Air & Plumbing, we offer a Plumbing Tune-Up that includes a Sediment Flush to remove the hard water sediments that are building up in your pipes that can cause corrosion and create a loss in efficiency.

DO I HAVE HARD WATER?

If you live in Arizona, you do! According to USGS, Arizona has very hard water.³ Hard water can interfere with almost every cleaning chore in your home, from laundering and dishwashing to showering and personal grooming. Clothes that are washed in hard water can feel harsh instead of soft once cleaned, they may get dingy faster than clothes washed in soft water. Glasses, silverware, and dishes cleaned in hard water may be spotted when they’re dry. Hard water can leave a film on glass shower doors, on shower walls, in bathtubs, and in sinks. Hair washed in hard water can feel less clean, and may appear duller. Showerheads and faucets all around the home may have white hard build-up left from the hard water passing through it. If you are experiencing any of these, we would strongly recommend installing a water softener.

At Precision Air & Plumbing, we are always happy to talk to you about your water softener options. We want to make your life easier, so we’re offering $150 off any water softener! Just give us a call or schedule an appointment today.

Still not sure?

Check our next blog post to find out more about water softeners!

1. Specifically compounds of calcium and magnesium, as well as some other metals.
2. A grain is considered 64.8 milligrams of calcium carbonate.
3. https://water.usgs.gov/owq/hardness-alkalinity.html#map