Indoor plumbing is an amazing thing. It’s made modern life possible. However, most of us don’t put much thought into the water that flows through the pipes in our homes. After all, if hot or cold water comes out of the tap when you open it, everything’s working just fine, right? Maybe not. Hard water can cause serious problems for your plumbing over time. Here are five signs that your water is too hard and that you should act.
Over time, calcium, magnesium, and other dissolved solids build up things like showerheads and faucets. That buildup blocks the flow of water and reduces it. You may notice that individual nozzles on a showerhead spray in odd directions or don’t spray at all. This is a good sign that your hard water is causing problems.
Do you notice whitish spots on your dishes after washing them? This is a sign that you have hard water. Over time, those minerals will begin causing problems for your dishwasher as they clog up the sprayers.
Do you feel itchy after getting out of the shower? Maybe your skin is dry and red? This is usually caused by exposure to hard water. In addition to making it uncomfortable to get clean, it can begin causing problems for your home’s plumbing.
Ideally, you’ll have great water pressure when you open a tap. However, if you’ve noticed your pressure is not what it used to be, hard water could be the culprit. Those dissolved solids we’ve been talking about can build up on the inside of your pipes, reducing their diameter and thereby dropping your water pressure.
Ordinarily, you’ll hear your water heater click on and off. If it’s gas, you may even hear gas flowing through the pipe as it feeds the burner during active water heating cycles. However, if you hear popping, banging, and other weird noises from your water heater, it means that there’s sediment trapped at the bottom. Eventually, that will reduce the unit’s ability to heat water and even the volume of water it can hold.
Hard water is a reality for many people, but it doesn’t have to be inescapable. Turn to the pros for an in-depth evaluation of your water and the corresponding plumbing problems.
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