How Do I Know If I Have Hard Water?

Check out these tips and tricks on finding if you have hard water:

WHAT IS WATER SOFTENER SALT?

• The Basics: Diamond Crystal® water softener salt works in conjunction with a water softener to remove hard water minerals (e.g. calcium and magnesium) from your water.
• The Details: Hard water minerals are removed when the water passes through resin beads in the water softener tank. Water softener salt is used to periodically recharge the resin beads so that they can continue to remove these minerals. If you want more information, watch this video with our Principal Scientist, Dr. Scott, as he describes the regeneration process more in depth. 

WHAT IS HARD WATER?

What is hard water and why do we want to soften it?

When water falls from the sky in the form of rain it’s relatively pure and we call that soft water. But as the water falls and drains through the ground and eventually ends up in rivers and lakes and streams it has the opportunity to dissolve a lot of natural minerals.  Water that contains a high content of natural minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium is called hard water.

These minerals can cause a variety of nuisance effects:

• Interfere with soap and detergents preventing them from working as well.
• Leave deposits causing staining and spotting on glassware, dishes, sinks and fixtures.
• Cause build up on the pipes inside of your house that over time can restrict water flow.
• Cause scale build up on appliances such as your water heater. Your water heater will work less efficiently and it will be more expensive to heat the water.  The water heater will ultimately have a shorter lifetime as these scale deposits develop.

SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF ADVANTAGES TO SOFTENING WATER.

DO I HAVE HARD WATER?

It pays to know if you have hard water. Hard water can affect your life in many ways, from housecleaning to bathing to doing laundry. It makes cleaning more difficult. And sooner or later, hard water can become an expensive problem. For example, a study by the America Waterworks Association found that washing machines using hard water can wear out up to 30% faster than those using soft water.

Watch Diamond Crystal® Water Softener Salt videos that answer the questions:
What is Hard Water?
Why Do I Want to Soften My Water?

IF YOU NOTICE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SIGNS, IT’S POSSIBLE THAT YOU HAVE HARD WATER:

• You're using more than the recommended amount of soap to get adequate lather.
• Your skin or scalp feels itchy or dry after bathing.
• Dishes appear spotty or cloudy after washing.
• White clothes become grey or yellowed upon repeated washings.
• Your water appliance life spans seem shorter than expected.