Are you confident that the water flowing from the taps in your home is clean, safe, and not doing damage to your home as you use it? Most homeowners think that their water is totally safe as long as it does not have an off taste or visible debris, but there are many other indicators that something might be wrong. Throughout Maryland, one of the most common issues that we help homeowners with is hard water.
Hard water has high levels of magnesium, calcium, and other minerals. While it is not inherently dangerous to use or drink, it can lead to serious problems for your skin, your clothing, your hair, and your plumbing over time. Atlantic Blue Water Services offers water testing and service for your water softener in Urbana, MD to ensure that your water is safe and clean. Here’s what you should know about hard water and the best ways to fix it.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water has high levels of dissolved minerals in it as a result of the water cycle. Both city water and well water can be hard. If your water has high levels of magnesium and calcium, the water is considered very hard. If it has little to no dissolved minerals present, it is referred to as soft water. All homeowners should strive for soft water using a water softener in Urbana, MD if possible.
The levels of hardness are:
- 0-60 mg/L: soft to slightly hard
- 61-120 mg/L: moderately hard
- 121-180 mg/L: hard
- 180+ mg/L: very hard
Why Is Hard Water a Bad Thing?
While hard water won’t make you sick to your stomach or lead to immediate consequences to your plumbing, it is hazardous because there are serious cumulative effects that will require you to invest in costly repairs in the future, as well as small daily effects that make the products that you use every day less efficient. For example, all of the water-using appliances in your house are designed to use soft water. When you use hard water instead, it can make it harder to rinse off soaps and detergents and lower the efficiency of the entire system.
Some of the other negative effects of hard water include:
- Dishes that are spotty after washing
- Limescale accumulation on appliances and fixtures
- Dry, rough-feeling laundry
- Skin or hair thats feel dry or not clean after washing
- Faded clothing
- Needing frequent plumbing repairs
- Staining on porcelain surfaces like the bathtub and sink
- Increasing water bills
How Can You Fix Hard Water?
When you think that you have hard water, you can contact Atlantic Blue Water Services for a detailed water test that will give you a detailed look at what your water contains. If you have hard water, it’s a good idea to invest in a water softener in Urbana, MD. We specialize in repairing and maintaining a complete range of water softener systems. We are not tied to a specific manufacturer, which means that we can repair your system regardless of who made it.
A water softener in Urbana, MD works by getting rid of the magnesium and calcium that are in your water using ion exchange technology. Small beads inside of your system are negatively charged with sodium ions. Because the minerals in your water carry a positive charge, the water softening process forces an exchange so that the salt enters your water and the minerals leave. While you are adding sodium to your water, you are adding a very small amount that will not impact the taste.
Call Atlantic Blue Water Services to Replace or Maintain Your Water Softener
Atlantic Blue Water Services is here to help homeowners and business owners in need of a quality water softener in Urbana, MD. Call us today to schedule your water testing at 410-840-2583.