For the most part, your home’s water quality doesn’t require much afterthought unless the color changes or it stops coming out of your faucet. And while the city ensures that your water is free of toxins, the water can still be improved greatly with the help of a water softener provided by Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Yavapai, Coconino and Maricopa Counties!
What is Hard Water?
Hard water has high trace amounts of minerals throughout, commonly found in the water flowing directly from your home’s main source of water.
Solid minerals like these commonly dissolve into water, causing hard water problems:
- Magnesium
- Limestone
- Chalk
- Calcium
Not only does this alter the taste of your home’s water and appearance, but the hard water can also affect your home and life in more ways than one.
Does Arizona Have Hard Water?
It’s no question that Arizona has a problem with hard water. But should you even worry about your water quality in your neck of the woods? Technically speaking, water with more than three and a half grains of calcium and magnesium per gallon is considered hard water. In just the Phoenix area alone, the lowest levels are around nine grains per gallon – with the largest being nearly double that.
Even when you head north towards Prescott and the nearby Northern Arizona regions, the problems remain the same, with an average of six to seven grains found per gallon of water.
Where Does Arizona’s Hard Water Come From?
Due to the little amount of rainfall Arizona receives, it must take water from other sources, including local aquifers that have sourced water from wells, groundwater, and even the Colorado River. Of course, all of these are abundant with mineral deposits, which easily explains the large amounts of hard water throughout Arizona.
What Does a Water Softener Do?
Water softeners do exactly as the name implies – they soften the water that enters your home before you use it.
Water softeners come in all types of makes and models but can be boiled down to “plumbing equipment that can remove these minerals from your home’s drinking water through a process called ion-exchange in which magnesium, calcium, and other mineral ions are swapped out with sodium and potassium ions and are completely removed from your system. “
Does My Home Need a Water Softener?
If you’re in Arizona, there’s a good chance your home needs a water softener, but to be sure, you can be on the lookout for one or more of these common symptoms of hard water:
- Film on hands or body after washing
- Spots and rings on dishes, silverware, and sink
- Mineral stains on your clothes after washing
- Less water pressure throughout your home
- Scale build-up in faucets, drains, and pipes
- Frequent water heater problems
The best way to tell if your home needs a water softener is by consulting with a professional plumber. They will complete a water quality and hardness test, and then you can decide whether you need a softener or not.
There Are Many Benefits of Adding a Water Softener
Hard water is never good for your health or your plumbing. Having a water softener system installed offers a number of benefits to your home.
Adding a water softener:
Extends the Life of Some Appliances
When hard water enters your appliances, it can leave behind hard mineral deposits, which is never good for a number of reasons:
Washing Machine
Hard water won’t break your washing machine after one use, but after the constant exposure to minerals, build-up inside your washing machine and in its pipes can occur. This will ultimately reduce the lifespan of your washing machine.
Don’t ruin your clothes: Washing machines rely more on water quality than you may think. Even the cleaning cycle can become inefficient, leaving your clothes less than clean and even dulling even the brightest pink!
Dishwasher
Not only does hard water cause your dishes and glasses to come out covered in mineral stains, but the dishwasher will also take a beating after some time. While DIY solutions like running a dishwasher cycle with vinegar can provide some temporary relief, stopping the problem head-on with a proper water softener system is the best option.
Fridge, Ice, & Drinking Water
Just like the other appliances we talked about, your kitchen’s fridge and water and ice dispenser rely on your home’s water. To ensure the water coming out of your tap is safe and healthy, consider installing a water softener and water purifiers. Without soft water, you’ll find yourself having to clean the nozzles more often and even having to remove clogs.
Reduce Future Service Calls
With a water softener protecting your system from mineral build-up and other hard water damages, you’ll find yourself needing us less – which is always a good thing! You’ll end up spending less on plumbing cleaning, repairs, and general maintenance to overcome mineral build-up.
Increase Your System’s Flow
As minerals build up on the walls of your pipes and drains, your plumbing has less space to flow through. Preventing the chance of this occurring will make sure your system continues to flow at max capacity without any obstructions.
Make Your Water Feel Better
Adding a water softener makes your water better all around. With hard water, slime or film is often left behind, causing you to need to rewash your hands or wash for longer. This is caused by the soap’s reaction to calcium, which creates something plumbers call “soap scum.”
To make sure you feel cleaner and avoid damaging your hair, skin, nails, and more, a water softener can help. The filtering process will make sure your water not only tastes better but feels better! Believe us; you’ll notice the difference!
Ensure Proper Equipment Installation with a Professional Plumber
You use your water in your home daily – so, if hard water is a problem, don’t wait any longer! Water softening systems will increase the longevity of your plumbing system and your home’s appliances and even help you have cleaner clothes, hair, and skin!
Water softeners aren’t just simple add-ons that are screwed onto the end of your faucet. Water softening equipment is advanced and must be installed by a professional plumber to ensure it works the way it should.
Our Plumbers Are Here to Help
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Yavapai, Coconino and Maricopa Counties is here to make sure the correct water softener is chosen for your home and the installation is done correctly. From our free upfront estimates to industry-leading guarantees, there’s no wonder why we’re chosen time and time again to help Arizona businesses and homes get their hard water under control with the installation of a new water softener.
Don’t wait any longer – contact us online to request your free estimate for water softener installation.