Does My Home Need a Water Softener?

At Tri-State Water, Power & Air, we pride ourselves on our 20 years of experience installing water softeners throughout the Midwest. There are several signs that you may need a system in your home:

Staining and Mineral Deposits

Since hard water contains excess minerals, they can build up and leave ugly brown or orange stains on your fixtures, like your tub, toilet, and sinks, and leave white mineral deposits on your faucets. Those white mineral deposits, also known as scale, can also build up in your pots and pans, coffee maker, tea kettle, and on your dishes.

It can get bad, because scale also builds up inside your appliances that use water, like your dishwasher, washing machine, and refrigerator, and in the pipes that run water throughout your home. All that build-up can lead to expensive repairs.

Rising Utility Costs

If your energy bills are suddenly going up for no apparent reason, you may want to investigate your pipes to see if there’s scale built up. If there is, that may be the cause of your increased bills. Your hot water system must work harder to send hot water through pipes that are slowly being closed off because of build-up inside. Scale also affects the efficiency of your hot water heater, especially if you’re using a tank hot water heater; tankless systems are less affected. A water softener can help alleviate the risk of scale build-up.

Faded, Crunchy Clothing

When you wash your laundry in hard water, the minerals prevent the detergent from working well. They also build up on your clothes, making them feel crunchy and itchy. The minerals can prematurely fade and cause wear on your belongings. Sometimes they also leave a foul smell on your supposedly clean clothes.

Dry Hair and Skin

The minerals in hard water can also build up on your hair and skin, leaving your skin dry, itchy, and flaky. It can also block your skin’s pores, causing blackheads, pimples, and inflammation. Since soap doesn’t fully dissolve in hard water, you can also have a film of soap built up on your skin, keeping you from feeling clean. It can coat your hair, too, leaving it feeling dull, limp, and dried out. A system can help prevent these effects on your skin and hair.

Professional Water Testing

The very best way to know if you need a water softener in your home is to have your water professionally tested. There are many companies that offer take-home tests that you then drop off or mail in to get your results. If you’re on city water, you can contact the local water department to find out how hard or soft your water is.

Water softness and hardness tests are based on the amount of calcium per liter of your water.  If there’s 0 to 60 mg/L, your water is soft to slightly hard. If the test shows 61 to 120 mg/L, your water is moderately hard. If the results show 121 to 180 mg/L, your water is hard. And if there are more than 180 mg/L of calcium in your water, it’s very hard. If your calcium levels are higher than 120 mg/L, you may benefit from having a water softener installed.

The Difference Tri-State Water, Power & Air Can Make

At Tri-State Water, Power & Air, we have specialists who can come to your home, test your water, and advise you on what type of system you may need. We have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and 40,000 satisfied customers. We’re excited to add you to that list. Why wait? Contact us today to set up your no-obligation water assessment.