Why is water quality important? We all know our health depends on it, but we don’t realize that it’s also important for maintaining our homes. Poor water quality is the culprit behind various home issues, affecting sinks, tubs, wall tiles and other fixtures. If you want to avoid unnecessary stress and expenses, it pays to check and improve the water quality in your home.
If you don’t know the first thing about water quality, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll learn about the impact of poor water quality on our health and houses. We’ll also share tips on measuring water quality.
Effects of Poor Water Quality and How to Address Them
While hard water doesn’t pose health risks, its high levels of magnesium and calcium can significantly add to your mineral intake. It also has unwanted effects on your hair, skin, appliances and plumbing system. If you have hard water at home, here are some consequences to watch out for.
Dry Skin and Hair
If your skin and hair have become dry and lackluster, hard water might be to blame. Hard water doesn’t wash the shampoo from your hair or the soap from your skin very well, even if it feels like you’ve rinsed everything away. All that residue absorbs the natural oils and moisture from your hair and skin, explaining their dryness.
If you have colored hair, hard water can also cause the color to fade faster than usual. And if you shave, the dryness of your skin can make you more prone to razor burns.
Scaling on Plumbing System and Appliances
The high concentration of magnesium and calcium in hard water causes scaling in plumbing and appliances. This chemical buildup on faucets, pipes, dishwashers and washing machines isn’t just unsightly; it also hampers the efficiency of appliances and can cause them to break down prematurely.
If you want to check for hard water in your home, look for white, chalky buildup around the mouth of your faucets. You’ll likely also spot this scale on your bathroom tiles, shower heads and water-dependent appliances.
Detergents and Soaps Have No Lather
Hard water doesn’t mix well with soap and detergents, preventing them from creating a rich lather. Instead, the combination creates a curdy substance. You’ll have to use more shampoo, soap and detergent to get that satisfying lather when bathing or washing the dishes.
Worn-Out Clothes and Fabrics
Hard water is hard on fabrics, so don’t be surprised if your clothes look dull, frayed or worn out after washing and drying them. The chemicals that wreak havoc on your plumbing and appliances can also cause problems with your clothes. In addition, hard water makes it harder to rinse detergent, potentially shortening your clothes’ lifespan.
Stained Glasses and Dishes
When you have hard water at home, your glasses and dishes may look grimy even after washing. That’s because detergent reacts to hard water, leaving a cloudy film on your dishware.
Higher Expenses
Scale buildup in your plumbing system can make your water-dependent appliances less efficient. Your water heater will require more energy, and it will take longer for your washing machine and dishwasher to receive water. The slowdown in performance can lead to higher utility bills. You’ll also have to spend more on shampoo, soap and detergent because they’re less effective when they come in contact with hard water.
If you’re tired of dealing with the frustrating effects of hard water, let a professional take over. They will assess the situation and recommend a solution for your home, which could be any of the following.
Water Softener
Water softeners treat hard water by removing magnesium, calcium and sediments. They use negatively charged ion exchange resin to gather and filter out the minerals, improving the overall water quality in your home.
Water Filtration System
A water filtration system functions like a water softener but with the added benefit of removing impurities and contaminants in the water. An activated carbon filter removes chlorine, radon, benzene and more. In addition, it eliminates any off-putting smells in your water and improves its flavor.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis systems clean water by removing inorganic solids. Water pressure forces the water through a semipermeable membrane, eliminating lead, fluoride, nitrate and other impurities.
Hard water affects many homeowners. If you’re one of them, you don’t have to put up with unsightly scale buildup, dry skin and spotty dishes. Contact a specialist so they can perform a water quality analysis and implement measures, like installing a water softener, to improve your water quality at home.
Why Is It Important to Determine the Quality of Water?
Water is part of our daily lives, so we don’t usually give it much thought. But it doesn’t hurt to dig a little deeper and determine the water quality in your home.
You may not know it, but your water could be causing some of the issues you’re having with your health, appliances or plumbing system. Here are some crucial reasons to pay attention to your water supply.
Health
Hard water can have various effects on a person’s health. It can cause sky dryness and irritation and can leave your hair feeling rough and dull.
Plumbing System
Poor water quality affects your plumbing system. Hard water creates scale buildup in your pipes, eventually causing restricted water flow and pipe failure. In addition, contaminated water can harm the inside of your pipes, causing leaks that are time-consuming and expensive to repair.
Appliances
Household appliances are expensive, so you’d want to get as much use out of them as possible. Unfortunately, hard water can cut short their lifespan. Hard water affects the efficiency of your washing machine, dishwasher, water heater and other water-dependent appliances.
Because your appliances are less efficient and consume more energy, your utility bills will be higher than usual. In addition, hard water causes scale buildup in faucets and shower heads, altering or restricting water flow. That leads to another set of unwanted expenses.
Water quality affects many aspects of life and should be a top priority among homeowners. If you want to assess the quality of your water supply, don’t hesitate to get professional help. Specialists will perform a water quality analysis to check the various chemical components in your water. Then, they will provide fitting solutions to improve the water quality in your home.
What Is the Most Important Quality of Water?
Clean and safe water is essential for our health, plumbing systems, appliances and the environment. But how exactly can we measure water quality? Here are some physical and chemical parameters that professionals use to determine water quality.
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is the water’s capacity to neutralize acidity. Alkaline water’s pH level exceeds 7.0, with bicarbonate, carbonate and hydroxide ions usually responsible for this. If your water supply at home has either high alkalinity or acidity, that’s a sign of contamination.
Turbidity
Turbidity measures the cloudiness of your water. The cloudiness is usually visible to the naked eye if turbidity sensors measure a reading of more than 5 NTU. If your water at home has high turbidity, it indicates a high concentration of clay, silt and organic materials. The main issue with high turbidity is that it makes water unappealing to drink.
pH
pH level is one of the most essential parameters for water testing. A pH above 7.0 means your water is alkaline, while anything below that is acidic.
Concerned About Water Quality in Your Home? Let a Professional Help
Assessing the water quality in your home is an essential but complex task. It’s better to leave the job to a professional with the necessary skills, knowledge and tools. They’ll check for contaminants in your water supply and install a water softener or filtration system if needed.
ABC Can Improve Your Water Quality
With all the drawbacks of hard water, many homeowners opt to have a water softener installed in their home. Fortunately, the professionals at ABC Home & Commercial Services can do all of the hard work for you, so all you have to do is reap the benefits! We can do everything from testing water quality to installing the best water filtration system for your needs.
