Everything You Need To Know About Water Softeners
Posted on: 4 March 2020
Water is a basic necessity of life; yet, if you have hard water, you may complain about it every day. Learn more about how a water softener can improve your water quality.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water is water that has a high mineral content. Typically, hard water comes from individual wells, while municipal water tends to be soft due to being pre-treated at water treatment plants before entering your home. In some parts of the country, however, the water that comes from water treatment plants still has a high mineral content, even after treatment by the city.
How Do You Know if You Have Hard Water?
Hard water typically leaves orange stains in and on your bathtub, shower pan, cement driveway, and your dishwasher, and it can even wreck havoc with blond hair. It also may taste bad, but that is purely subjective. You can also purchase an inexpensive water test kit at your local hardware store to test your water's hardness level.
Do You Need a Water Softener?
If you have hard water, a water softener can help remove the high level of minerals in it. Soft water will not leave stains like hard water and is much easier on your home's pipes. The minerals in hard water can build up inside your pipes, causing corrosion and other damage.
What Size of Water Softener Do You Need?
You need a water softener that is large enough to filter the daily water needs of your family. The number of people in your family and how hard your water is are both determining factors. For the record, the average person uses 80 gallons of water per day in the United States.
If you have an irrigation system, your water softener installer can discuss options with you. If you do not have an issue with hard water stains on your home's siding or cement driveway, you may not be concerned about running water used for your lawn and landscaping plants through the water softener. You can also adjust the sprinkler heads to point away from your home.
Can You Install a Water Softener Yourself?
A water softener system, whether whole house or under the sink model, is best installed by a plumber or other licensed professional.
Can a Water Softener Increase the Value of Your Home?
Many water softeners are rented on a month-to-month basis. This units are returned to the company when you sell your home. If you purchase a water softener system and have it permanently installed in your home, it can help your home sell faster and, possibly, for more money.
Water softeners, whether whole house or under just one sink, can remove minerals from your water and make both using and drinking it much more pleasant. Reach out to a water softener installation service near you to learn more.
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