SEE OUR SPECIALS
Have you heard water being described as hard or soft? Perhaps you’re wondering precisely what this means. What’s the difference between waters that are hard and soft? This is one of the most common questions that plumbers are asked. This article will answer the question and will also give you information about installing a water filter if your water is too hard.
If you live in St. Petersburg, FL, or the surrounding area, don’t hesitate to contact Drain Flo Plumbing, who can provide a professional for advice and plumbing services. Their plumbers can install a water filter in your home, clean blocked drains, and also offer an emergency plumbing service.
- Hard And Soft Water
Whether your water is considered hard or soft depends on the minerals that it contains. Hard water has lots of dissolved minerals, including magnesium and calcium. Soft water contains the ion sodium but has been treated to remove all traces of other minerals.
Water is treated before it gets to our homes, but the amount of minerals that it contains depends on whether it’s hard or soft. In many instances, the water remains hard even after it’s been treated. This is true in areas where there are high levels of certain minerals in the ground. When it rains, the water seeps through the soil and picks up minerals on the way. This could include chalk, calcium, magnesium, and lime.
- Hard Water And Its Effects
Hard water contains a high amount of ions such as calcium and magnesium, and sometimes manganese. When rainwater that will eventually end up being supplied to homes for drinking water runs through ground that contains calcium or magnesium carbonates or through chalk or limestone, it absorbs these minerals and becomes hard water.
There are both positive and negative effects of having hard water, but in general hard water is filtered to make it softer. Hard water is thought to have many health benefits as there are essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium contained within each glass.
The adverse effects of hard water are that limescale may form inside homeowners’ kettles and in their baths or showers. Often soap is less effective as a cleaning product when it’s used in hard water. This may result in unsightly stains on clothing and kitchen equipment, as well as spots and films on dishes. You may notice that your clothing becomes dull and faded quickly.
Water hardness can vary from time to time, depending on the minerals that it’s absorbed. Some water is considered to have temporary hardness, whereas other water is permanently hard. Often temporary hardness will be caused by dissolved minerals such as calcium magnesium bicarbonate. Whereas permanent hardness occurs when dissolved calcium and magnesium sulfates enter the water system.
- Installing A Water Filter
Having hard water is not necessarily a bad thing, but many homeowners want to make their water softener, and they do this by installing a water filter in their home. Water filters vary, but there are two main types. You can either filter your water before it enters the house. This will mean that all your water for washing, cooking, and drinking has been filtered. Or you can filter your water at the source, e.g., a filter can be installed under the kitchen sink to purify water for drinking and cooking.
There are many types of high flow carbon water filters on the market, and they all work in slightly different ways. These types of water filters will improve the taste and odor of your water and will purify it by removing unwanted chemicals. They will also remove all chemicals present in the water through an absorption process.
The filter will improve the taste and odor of the water by reducing chlorine and chloramines that have been added to the water as it goes through a water treatment plant.
Many people worry that chemicals that are added to the water during treatment are cancer-causing. It’s therefore beneficial for the health of your family to filter the water before drinking it. You may also notice that there’s often a chemical flavor that taints your water, a carbon filter will remove any taste.
If you think that your water is too hard, you can ask a plumber to install a water filter in your home. Hard water can cause plumbing problems, so it may be beneficial to invest in a water filter for your property.
- Soft Water And How It’s Treated
Soft water is filtered at a water treatment plant before it reaches our homes. All the minerals are removed from the water, and only sodium is left. Some people don’t like the taste of soft water as it may taste slightly salty. Natural minerals will have been removed so the water doesn’t have any health benefits, which may be gained from drinking hard water.
The main reason that people use soft water is that hard water often causes plumbing problems. It can also lower the effectiveness of soap and other household cleaning agents.
In order to soften hard water, minerals are removed using ion exchangers. Sodium will remain in the water, as well as some other anions.
Drain Flo Plumbing, Plumber
If you need a plumber for advice or are looking to install a water filter into your home, don’t hesitate to contact Drain Flo Plumbing. The company employs highly skilled plumbers and serves St. Petersburg, FL, and the surrounding area. Drain Flo Plumbing can offer a wide selection of services, including drain cleaning, leak detection, and can unblock toilets.
Darin Flo Plumbing is a team of professional plumbers who provide fantastic customer service and great value for money. They guarantee that their plumbers will carry out all jobs, no matter how big or small to a professional standard.
If you live in the area and are searching for a plumber, contact Drain Flo Plumbing today on 813-815-7477. The company can be called 24/7 and can provide an emergency call-out service.
