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Simple Hard Water Treatments for Your Home
Hard water doesn’t have to be hard to deal with. Why let poor taste and filmy scum be a reality in your home? There are plenty of ways you can reduce the hardness of your water so you can get back to the water you enjoy. Learn more about how to get rid of hard water with the following treatments.
Why Hard Water is Bad For Your Home
You probably already know that hard water has high concentrations of calcium and magnesium. But what you may not know is why that’s a bad thing.
First things first — hard water smells and tastes different than regular water. Hard water may also have a salty taste because of the mineral content. Overall, not so fresh.
Smell and taste are one thing. Damage to your home is another. Over time, the high mineral content of hard water can build up in sinks, tubs, and appliances. This leaves a tell-tale scale that can eventually clog appliances like your hot water heater and dishwasher. The result? Higher energy bills and the need to replace appliances more frequently. You may also see decreased water pressure, making your showers far less enjoyable.
If you’ve noticed all of these signs in your home, don’t worry! Once you learn how to reduce calcium in water, you’ll be on track for water you can trust.
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Hard Water Home Solutions
When thinking about how to fix hard water, you have two options: stopping hard water at the source, and putting a bandaid on the effects of hard water. Both options can be good at minimizing hard water’s effects, but the only way to reduce the problem is with a water softener or whole house water filtration system.
Vinegar
Because vinegar is acidic, it’s one of the best hard water treatment options for clearing out scale buildup in your tub and sink. You can even use it in your appliances, like your coffee maker, dishwasher, and washing machine, to help them function better.
The key with using vinegar to clean up hard water is to let it soak into the scum for at least an hour. This gives the acid time to break down the deposits. For machines that run on cycles that long — like your dishwasher and washing machine — that makes it easy. Just use a cup of vinegar instead of detergent and run a normal washing cycle while the machine is empty.
The process is similar for a kettle or coffee maker. Fill up the machine with vinegar, then let it sit for an hour. Then, boil this mixture and pour it out.
If you also have scaly taps, you can wrap a tea towel soaked in vinegar around them for an hour, and most of the grime should wipe off afterward. As for your tub and sink, you’ll likely have to put in a little muscle and just scrub the scum off with a vinegar-soaked towel.
Showerhead Filters
If you’re tired of scrubbing deposits off your shower walls — and dealing with the dry skin and hair that can be a result of hard water — you can fix the problem with showerhead filters. These filter out the minerals found in hard water — as well as a bunch of other contaminants like chlorine, chloramines and other synthetic chemicals, too.
Pentair has a few options to choose from. No matter which option you’ll choose, you should see a reduction in 96% of chlorine from your shower water. You’ll also see a reduction in the dryness and flakiness of your skin. Not to mention a reduction of unpleasant odors that can make showering a downer.
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Appliance Cleaners
Using an appliance cleaner treats the symptoms of hard water, but it doesn’t cure the problem. While these cleaners can definitely get rid of the scum in your appliances to help improve efficiency, they can often be expensive. However, they’re good to use on appliances that might need a little extra cleaning power.
Water Softener
To make sure all of the water in your home is softened — eliminating the need for constant cleaning — choose a water softener. These work by reducing the number of mineral ions present in the water before water flows through all the pipes in your home. Meaning you will see less scum buildup in your appliances or tub.
You have two main choices when it comes to tackling hard water — salt-based water softeners and salt-free water softener alternatives. Our salt-based water softener is the traditional model and uses a self-cleaning brine injector to reduce maintenance. Sodium from the tank swaps places with the positively charged magnesium and calcium ions, leaving these behind in the tank so you receive softened water throughout your home.
Whole House Water Filtration System
When looking at hard water solutions, your ultimate best bet is to go with a whole house water filtration system. That way, not only will you have softer water, but you’ll also see a reduction of many of the common contaminants in tap water. Say goodbye to treatment chemicals like chlorine, chloramines, and trihalomethanes that can give your water a funky taste.
Whatever your water needs, Pentair is here to help. Ditch your hard water with one of our filtration or softening systems. We’ll help you get water you can trust.
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Disclaimer: The information on this website has not been reviewed by the FDA. Products offered for sale herein are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. No medical claims are being made or implied. Contaminants mentioned are not necessarily in your water.